Stylistic Harmony
by hells1belle
Summary: Draco and Hermione have been dreaming. Their dreams are telling them everything. Hermione is enticed by the two Slytherin Princes, together they hold the power to save everything they know. DMHGBZ, BZGW
1. Chapter 1to11

**Disclaimer: **I don't own anything, everything belongs to the fantastic J.K.R. and congrats to her for creating such a wonderful bunch of characters. Especially the extreme lushness that is Mr. Draco Malfoy.

My 1st fan fic, so enjoy.

**Chapter One**

It had been a long, tedious and emotional summer. Since the end of school, she had had to do everything in her power to stop everyone from slipping away, especially Harry. After witnessing Dumbledore's death at the hands of Snape atop the Astronomy Tower, he had been withdrawn, appearing only for meals and Order meetings. He didn't speak to anyone about what he saw, what was said, he only broke his silence for private meetings with her and Ron to discuss potential Horcruxes. Ron on the other hand was trying to be the leader, helping everyone, filling the place which Harry normally took, only revealing himself as the scared boy he always was in front of her. She just hadn't stopped all summer, whether it be comforting Harry, discussing tactics with Lupin & Tonks, girlie chats with Ginny or attempting to be the perfect girlfriend for Ron. Yes, she and Ron were together finally, although she still felt that there was something missing. Sure, she loved him, and he most definitely loved her but there was that nagging feeling that the passion and intensity of first love was nowhere to be found. But this was the least of her worries, for the night before school started they received news that would certainly spark of the new year with a bang.

Firstly, she had been made Head Girl, she had wanted it for so long and everyone was so proud of her, even Harry managed a weak smile. Secondly the Order had received news via contacts at the Ministry that Draco Malfoy had turned himself in, been interrogated and found completely innocent of any charge against him. She was actually quietly pleased about this as it had actually elicited a reaction in Harry, on hearing the news , he had put his fist through the nearest wall and shouted,

"WHAT THE FUCK ARE THEY THINKING? HE'S A DEATH EATER! HE WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE ATTACK ON THE SCHOOL. HOW CAN THEY HAVE IGNORED MY EVIDENCE?"

"Harry, please calm down." She had said. It frightened her to see him like that. In their eyes Malfoy was and always would the evil little shit he always had been. Lupin had stepped in to stop Harry destroying the place,

"Harry, please. I know you're angry and upset but you can't bottle it up, that just leads to pain and despair that you don't want."

"You think I don't know that? You think I like feeling like this? I hate it, I hate that this falls on my shoulders, I hate that everyone close to me, everyone I ever look up to is killed because of Voldemort and his bullshit. And yeah, I am angry that Malfoy walked from this. So leave me be ok?" With that he had stalked off back upstairs, leaving them all gaping in his wake. It was Ron who broke the silence,

"Well, at least he's talking now, eh?"

They had decided, with the advice of McGonagall, Mr. Weasley, Lupin and Moody, to return to school, feeling it best that they were aided in whatever it was they were trying to do. Harry had sworn her and Ron not to break his or Dumbledore's trust by telling anyone else about the Horcruxes and they had held to that. In the end, they had submitted to the relentless advice and decided that returning to Hogwarts was the best plan of action. Ginny, of course, was ecstatic at the prospect of them returning. Although Harry had broken up with her, she was still hopeful that he would eventually realize the mistake and trust that she could take care of herself.

Hermione stretched out on her bed and thought of the summer past, and of the revelations of the past few days. The summer had been so hectic she hadn't had time to spare a thought for Malfoy and what may or may not have transpired on his return to Voldemort. She yawned and turned over, she had always found the blonde boy a mystery, yes, he had bullied her and her friends relentlessly for six years, and yes, he was undoubtedly evil but for one moment last year she saw something else in him, something so unexpected she hadn't had the guts to mention it to anyone else.

_It was late one afternoon, she was studying under the tree by the lake. She was alone, Harry & Ron were at Quidditch practice. She had been so engrossed in her Advanced Transfiguration book she had hardly noticed that there was someone standing across to her left. She looked up, it was Draco Malfoy, he made no indication that he had seen her. Hermione couldn't help but stare at him, her views about him were conflicted, he was the bane of her life, always calling her Mudblood and taunting her, he was the worst kind of bully and yet there was something that she just couldn't place, he had changed and she wasn't sure what he had changed into. Harry was convinced that he had taken his Father's place in the Dark Lord's ranks. She was skeptical, she just couldn't see him as having the, well, balls to face Voldemort, let alone join him. _

_"You know Granger, that vacant expression really doesn't go with your Mudblood know it all persona." Apparently lost in her thoughts she had not seen him turn to face her. It took her by surprise,_

_"And the gaping mouth just sets it off."_

_"Why thanks Malfoy, coming from a ferret that really means a lot to me. Now get lost." She looked back down at her book, fully aware that he hadn't moved and was staring down at her. He wasn't angry or smirking as usual, in fact he looked almost sad,_

_"How do you do that Granger?"_

_"Wow you're still here. Do what Malfoy?" She looked up at him, his eyes were unusually dark, instead of the normal silver grey they were,_

_"Be like you are."_

_"Christ Malfoy, this crypticness really does not suit you. You have to have some form of intelligence for that. Be like how?" Now his eyes were filled with loneliness and intrigue, she really wanted to leave, this situation was beginning to make her nervous. He was staring at her again, intensely,_

_"You aren't frightened, nothing seems to phase you. I insult you, you ignore it, or comeback with something equally scathing. Its like you can't be touched."_

_"Insightful Malfoy. What happened, did you suddenly grow a pair? I HAVE never been scared of you or intimidated by your pureblood bullshit. You know why? Because I know all you are, is a frightened, insecure little Daddy's boy, who needs attention and the only way you can get it is by isolating yourself from everyone around you and pretending to be the 'Big Bad'." He moved so fast toward her she didn't have time to stop him wrapping his fingers round her throat and ramming her against the tree,_

_"You don't know anything about me Granger. You understand nothing. You think what you see everyday is the real me? You're wrong. You have no idea what I am capable of, Mudblood.." With that he let go of her and stalked off back to the castle. She stood gasping for breathe, he had never shown violence like that, he always seemed in control of his emotions. What had she said that had made him lose it like that? Was Draco Malfoy's carefully constructed world falling apart? _

_"Maybe Harry's right, maybe he is a Death Eater," she thought to herself. With that she settled back down against the tree, more troubled by Malfoy's outburst then she was scared that he had almost choked her to death, and the look in his eyes, fear? anger? frustration? She didn't know._

Whatever the hell it was she had seen in him that day, it still rocked her to her core. She actually pitied him, for like two seconds. She could still feel the warmth of his hands wrapped round her throat. She had wondered for the last few days whether she should have mentioned it to Harry, it may have held the key to stopping him from doing what he was tasked to do. After that incident he hadn't said two words to her, he didn't even sneer or smirk at her when Pansy Parkinson insulted her in potions, or Crabbe tripped her in the corridor. The thought of seeing him tomorrow unnerved her, as she settled down to a disturbed nights sleep.

**She woke up in the middle of a vast open plain. She got up wearily, her white dress clinging to her legs. She looked around her, the ground was covered with dead flowers. Hogwarts castle stood in ruin on the horizon. She started towards it. In the distance she could make out the outline of four people. As she got closer she realized who they were. Ron. Harry. Ginny and Malfoy. Harry and Ginny were standing together clinging to each other. Ron was looking over her head into the distance, and Malfoy was looking directly at her.**

**"Ron, Harry, Gin? What's going on?" They didn't reply, just stayed in the positions they were in. She turned to look at Malfoy. He spoke,**

**"They can't hear you Hermione. Not since..." He motioned at the castle.**

**"Since what Malfoy? And when did you have the right to call me by name?" She spat back.**

**"I have always called you by name, Hermione." He came to stand in front of her. "The battle. It all came down to us. Me and you. They couldn't save you." He spoke with great sadness.**

**"Am I dead? Did I die? How did it come to this. Tell me Draco." She stared up at him, tears beginning to form. **

**"The Death Eaters came. The teachers and the students tried to fight back, but they were overpowered. Dementors swooped down, they killed the weaker ones. Then came Voldemort. He was relentless, with the Death Eaters behind him, the school was overrun. Those with any sense fled. Harry, Ron and Ginny, they led the students out, saved the vast majority of them. You went with them, but you left something behind." Draco began to lead her away from Harry, Ron and Ginny. She took a moment to take him in, he looked so beautiful, so tragic, dressed in a black shirt, black jeans. She felt something then other then burning hatred. What had happened to her? How had it come to this? He had led her to the tree beside the lake. **

**"Don't you remember, this is where we first felt it. That spark, the potential for something else. I'm what you left behind Hermione. We couldn't survive without each other."**

**"I don't believe you. I would never leave my friends especially for you." She turned, tried to run, but he grabbed her arm. "Get off me ferret. I would never ever lower myself to be with you." he spun her round and kissed her passionately. She subsided, thats when she felt it. The missing part of her. It was him.**

Hermione woke with a start. She was dripping with sweat and her face was stained with tears. She wasn't sure whether that was a dream, or the grim reality of her future. She knew for fact that whatever it was would never happen. She would never feel anything but spite, disgust and utter hatred for Draco Malfoy.

**Chapter Two**

Since the abrupt end of his school year, to the hot summer night now, Draco couldn't sleep. All he could see when he closed his eyes were the faces of people that haunted his every waking moment. His Father, Voldemort, Dumbledore, Snape, his mother and finally Granger. The others he could understand, but the last, he couldn't fathom. Yes, there had been that incident last year, but since then he hadn't given her a second thought. Why would he? Filthy Mudblood that she was. He got up and walked to the window, scratching at the raw skin surrounding the mark burned into his forearm. After being on the run for the past three months he would have thought that he would have been comfortable in his own bed, that however was not true. He stared out into the night. The stars hid from his piercing glare. The lands surrounding the mansion were vast, spanning for miles in every direction. Draco felt stranded, trapped in the middle of a violent, dark world, with his only escape being to surrender to the Dark Lord, give up his life in service as a Death Eater. In a way he was thankful that the Hogwart's Governors had allowed him back for his final year, if it meant prolonging his freedom, and keeping him sane for at least another 8 months or so. He watched the sun slowly rise up over the grounds, sunlight seeping into the shadows, casting a pale glow over the grass. He sank back onto his four poster, and fell into an uneasy sleep.

**He opened his eyes and took in his surroundings. He found himself standing in front of the burnt out ruin of Hogwarts castle. Images flashed through his brain, a battle, blood spattering over his robes. His father's blood. A girl with beautiful eyes. He forced himself to walk towards the charred remains of his childhood education. The hairs on the back of his neck prickled, someone was watching him. He turned towards the lake, standing by the tree on the edge of the water was a woman in a white dress. He felt drawn to her, walking closer he could make out her shape, she was staring out into the vast blackness of the lake, an ethereal mist hanging over it. When he was standing directly behind her, she spoke,**

**"I knew you'd be here, Draco."**

**"Who are you?" he asked, not quite wanting to hear the answer.**

**"You know who I am, Draco. You knew i'd be here, that's why you came." He couldn't take the suspense, he grabbed her arm and whirled her around to face him. Chocolate brown eyes stared up at him, he couldn't believe his eyes, it was,**

**"Granger? What the fuck are you doing in my dream? What the fuck happened here?" She pulled her arm out of his grip and smiled, reaching for his hand,**

**"Don't ask questions to which you already know the answer, Draco. I am here because you wished it. You came back here for me. This, all of this happened for a reason." He didn't want to believe her, and yet her words made sense to him. The intensity of the situation, compelled him to act; she had some hold over him, one he couldn't control. He pulled her into his arms, reveling in the warmth and comfort she gave him. **

**"What are you doing to me, Hermione?" He murmured into her hair. She pulled back and released herself from his embrace, a solitary tear rolled down her cheek, she kissed him gently on the lips, **

**"You think you know, what's to come, what you are. You haven't even begun." With that she ran. He was left, staring into the dark.**

"Master Draco Sir. You must wake up Sir. You will miss train. Master Draco Sir!" The house elf yelled in his ear.

"Yeah, whatever. I'm awake now bugger off." The few hours sleep he had had, coupled with one highly disturbing dream put Draco in a foul mood. He dragged himself into a scalding shower, hoping to burn the feel of Granger in his arms away. He shook his blonde hair out his eyes and immediately wished he hadn't, the pain of a skull-splitting migraine flashed through him like fire.

"Fuck!" he exclaimed. Reaching for his wand, he used a spell to relieve the pain, a spell he had used too often when his Father had been in the house. Lucius Malfoy was currently holed up in one of Azkaban's less comfy cells, a place where Draco hoped he would remain.

"Draco! Come on! You will miss your train!" Narcissa Malfoy shouted up the stairs to her only son. Draco heard his mother hurry him along, the pain in his head had subsided somewhat but was still enough to make Draco's mood worse if that was even possible. He made his way down stairs into the mansions cavernous entrance hall. His mother waited to bid him farewell. Narcissa Malfoy was as elegant as she was beautiful, years living under Lucius's tight regime had not dulled her complexion, although her health and sanity had improved since his incarceration. She watched as her son made his way down the stairs, thanking whatever God, that the school had agreed to take him back. At least there she was confident that neither her husband nor his master could get to him. With that thought in her mind, she enveloped Draco in a brief hug and said,

"Take care this year, Draco. Don't let what happened keep you from your studies or from your own happiness." Draco smiled a weak smile and bent to kiss his mother on the cheek, and apparated out to Platform 9 and three quarters.

After the night's sleep she had, Hermione's mood was far from happy. Plagued by recurring flashbacks of the dream, she hadn't slept at all. She pulled herself out of bed and into the shower, spending longer then was necessary under the hot water. She tried to scrub the memory of Draco kissing her out, but those haunting grey eyes kept making their way through. Lost in her thoughts, she didn't hear the yelling through the door,

"HERMIONE! HERMIONE! For God's sake, what are doing in there? Hurry up! Everyone is waiting to use the bathroom," Hermione's eyes snapped open, woken from her trance by the shouting.

"Ok, Ok, I'm coming, keep your hair on," reluctantly she stepped out of the shower and dried herself off, wrapping a towel around her she wrenched the door open, Ron stood in front of her, she felt a burning need to hex him.

"Finally Hermione, what were you doing? Drowning yourself?" he laughed.

"Christ I'm sorry Ron, just because I actually wash myself, does not mean you have to berate me about being in the shower to long." She marched past him and slammed the door to her room, fuming with anger. Suddenly she stopped, shook her head and said aloud,

"What am I doing? Why am I so angry? Ron hasn't done anything to me," she then realized that she wasn't angry at Ron, she wasn't even angry at Malfoy, she was angry at herself, for allowing herself to think of Malfoy as anything more then a foul, loathsome, evil little ferret. Her mood uplifted, she began to get ready. Half an hour later, she made her way down to the basement kitchen of Grimmauld Place. Throughout their sixth year, the Order had moved headquarters, to another location, but during summer most meetings had taken place in the meeting room of Grimmauld Place. Seeing as the house belonged to Harry, he had been staying there along with Lupin and Tonks, who had offered to look after the upkeep whilst Harry was at school. Hermione joined Mrs Weasley, Ginny and Tonks in the kitchen, Mrs Weasley had cooked a veritable feast of a breakfast to send them on their way. After what seemed like an age, the boys finally joined them in the kitchen, Hermione couldn't help but be slightly irate, Ron had after all yelled at her for taking a long time in the bathroom. He bent and kissed her on the head,

"Morning Love," he said. Hermione smiled sweetly, although for some reason unknown to her she cringed inside at the gesture. They all sat around the table and ate breakfast, the mood was slightly subdued, to them Hogwarts wasn't much without Dumbledore, and with the added stress of Malfoy and half of Slytherin being Death Eaters, no-one was really looking forward to going back to school. Still, it was N.E.W.T. year and whether or not they wanted to be there, it was still a vitally important year for their futures, Harry of course didn't seem to agree with this, he said that as long as Voldemort was around, their future was looking pretty bleak. But, as the new Head Girl, Hermione was determined to lead by example and work as hard she could, to pass her exams and help Harry to secure a future for them all. Mr. Weasley, Lupin and Mad Eye Moody entered the kitchen, through his job at the Ministry, Mr. Weasley had managed to secure safe transportation to the station,

"Time to go. Harry, Ron hurry up and finish getting ready otherwise you'll miss your train," Lupin said, Harry and Ron hurried upstairs and 10 minutes later were in the entrance hall ready to leave. Mrs Weasley gave them all teary goodbyes, and in a stern voice told them all to be careful and look after each other. At the last moment Harry turned around and said,

"Erm, I know I have been a nightmare to live with this summer, I just wanted to say thank-you for putting up with me. All of you are like family to me and I promise you that I will do everything in my power to end this once and for all. For Dumbledore, for Sirius, my parents and everyone else who died fighting." Mrs Weasley by now was a blubbering mess, Ron had enveloped his sister in a hug, even Moody had a tear in his eye. Only Hermione stood apart, quietly pondering his words and wondering whether it would be enough, whether they would win, whether they would survive and still in the back of her mind those grey eyes lingered, she wondered what part he would play and if it would be for the ruin of them all.

**Chapter Three**

The usually buzzing Platform Nine and Three Quarters was oddly quiet this year, Hermione didn't pretend not to know why, people were nervous and parents were reluctant to let their kids go. She stood as always with Harry and Ron, Ron's hand intertwined with hers, everything would be different this year, Hermione was dreading boarding the gleaming red Hogwarts Express. But not as much as she was dreading what happened next. What little noise there was on the platform suddenly ceased into absolute silence, she looked around, confused as to what had happened, she peered up at Harry, his eyes had glazed over and his knuckles were white from the grip he had on his wand, she followed his gaze. It seemed that the other students had scurried out the way, standing not 50 metres in front of them stood Draco Malfoy, flanked by Zabini, Crabbe, Goyle and Parkinson. Fellow Gryffindors surrounded the Golden Trio, protecting them. Harry was seething, she tugged on his sleeve,

"Harry, walk away, he isn't worth it, please," she begged him, but her pleas fell on deaf ears, Harry's normally emerald eyes had darkened, all of his rage bubbling to the surface, raising his wand he shouted,

"Malfoy! You shouldn't have come back. Azkaban will seem like nothing compared with what I'm going to do to you. You won't get away with this. Draw your wand, this ends now." Strangely, Draco did not seem to react to this, something had changed in the blonde boy. Whilst his cronies were all growling menacingly at the Gryffindors, Draco walked calmly towards Harry, his wand remaining in his cloak, when he reached him he said, in a low dangerous tone,

"Walk away from this Potter. I won't fight you,"

"You don't have a choice Malfoy. You deserve to pay for what you did," Harry threatened. Malfoy continued to stare at Harry, his cold grey eyes flashing with anger,

"You're right I didn't have a choice. Imagine this Potter, imagine you were blackmailed into doing something you didn't want to, imagine you failed, and the prize for failure was the lives of everyone you loved, what would you do? I did what I had to to save the people I loved. Like I said, walk away, this war isn't between you and me." He glanced sideways at her, he could see the fire in her eyes and the utter disbelief at what he had just said. Turning on his heel and walked the length of the platform to the end of the train. His entourage followed him, before he boarded the train he rounded on them,

"Go get your own cabins and leave me the fuck alone," with that he climbed aboard and found an empty compartment, sitting on the seat he closed his eyes. He fell asleep, with the memory of her eyes forefront in his mind.

Meanwhile, Harry Ron, Hermione, Ginny, Neville and Luna had found themselves a compartment, none of them had spoken since Malfoy's little speech. Hermione couldn't believe what had just transpired, Harry and Ron were livid, she could see Harry's anger seething below the surface and Ron, his anger was less controlled, he slammed the compartment door so hard the glass shattered. Hermione repaired it with a flick of her wand, and then sat down next to Harry, she tapped on his arm,

"Harry, Harry please say something," everyone in the carriage looked at her with gaping mouths, Harry turned his gaze to her, stood up and put his fist through the just repaired glass, the noise reverberated round the corridor, Harry's rage boiled right over,

"WHAT THE FUCK MAKES HIM THINK THAT HE CAN GET AWAY WITH THIS! HE CAN'T JUST MAKE SOME SPEECH AND THINK HE CAN WALK AWAY! WHAT THE FUCK DOES HE KNOW ABOUT LOVE ANYWAY, MALFOY'S DON'T KNOW HOW TO. HE IS NOT GOING TO GET AWAY WITH THIS, I AM GOING TO MAKE HIM PAY FOR WHAT HE DID. HIM AND HIS MASTER." Having now attracted the attention of most of the people down the train, Harry shouted at them, "What are you looking at? Mind your own fucking business," all the younger students hurried back into their cabins, the older ones gave him a look of disdain and annoyance, Seamus and Dean made their way into the compartment to try and reason with Harry. For that Hermione was grateful. Ron and Dean managed to make Harry sit down, Ginny sat by him rubbing his back, calming him, it was she who spoke first,

"Harry, please. You have to calm down. If you let your anger consume you then Malfoy wins, he wants you to react to this, then he seems like the rational one. I know you want to hurt him for what he did, but we need you, if you kill him, if you let him win then we'll have lost you, i'll have lost you, I can't lose you twice." She kissed him on the cheek and hugged herself to him. He looked down at her, then up at the others,

"She's right Harry, you can't let him win. He's a prat but I think its best we stay away from him and his cronies this year," said Ron, he looked over at Hermione, she had been oddly quiet throughout, usually she had something to say. She realized that everyone seemed to be looking at her,

'What? Why are all looking at me?"

"You've just been quiet is all Hermione, what do you think about Malfoy?" She pondered Ron's question for a moment, then stared out the window,

"He's right. You know he's right Harry. What wouldn't you do to save the people you love? And this fight, it was never between you and him, its between you and Voldemort and what he represents. Malfoy, he's was just used because he was to weak to say no." They couldn't believe what they were hearing, she had just stood up for the slimy git. Ron turned slightly red and yelled at her,

"Excuse me? You're sticking up for him, agreeing with him? What is this Hermione? Adopt a ferret day?" She looked at him and shook her head,

"God, don't you understand? He knows that when it comes to it, Harry will destroy Voldemort and those people he loves will be safe, he won't try and stop Harry from doing it. He did what he did to protect his world. I don't agree with what he did, and I will never ever feel sorry for him, but I understand his motive. Now if you'll excuse me I have to go to the Heads compartment," she pushed past them and walked out of the compartment, leaving them totally confused in her wake. She leaned against the corridor wall, what the hell was she thinking? Now they would all think she had gone crazy, she smacked her head against the wall. She couldn't have seriously thought good of Malfoy? One fucked up dream about him and she was suddenly his grand defender. She had to forget about this, she had to support her friends. Still, she couldn't shake off the feeling his look at her had evoked. Pulling herself together, she made her way to the Heads compartment, she was almost there when she bumped right into something tall and solid...

**"Wake up Draco," someone whispered in his ear. "Wake up, Love," whoever it was was now planting butterfly kisses down his neck, to his collarbone. He stirred and opened one eye lazily,**

**"I am awake," he turned over to face the person lying next to him. Her chocolate brown eyes were darkened with lust and love, she smiled a truly Slytherin smile and kissed him on the lips before he could react. He kissed her back passionately, caressing her tongue with his own. She drew back and looked intently at him, he then realized who it was,**

**"Granger, you're in my fucking dream again. Why are you here?"**

**"We already covered that Draco, I'm here because you want me here. You need me here, you have always needed me, whether you admit it to yourself or not." He shoved her away from him and got out of the bed. They were in his private rooms in the Slytherin dungeon. He walked to his desk and leant on it. **

**"This can't be real Hermione, we both know in the real world, this, us, it could never ever be anything," he sat in the chair and put his head in his hands. She rose gracefully from the bed and walked over to him, clad only in his school shirt. When she got to him, she pulled him up and wrapped her arms around him. His instant reaction was to envelop her tiny frame in his arms. He was so tall he could rest his head on the top of hers, she leaned back and looked up at him with wide -eyed innocence,**

**"You're right," she said simply, tears welling up, "We can't feel this in the real world, there's to much in the way, but know this I will always be waiting for you. Wherever you are, i'll be there, waiting."**

**"For what? This to become real? It can never, won't ever happen, my father, your friends, our history. I won't ask you to stay for me," he replied.**

**"You don't have to. I will always wait for you, Love. Now are you ready?" She kissed him, "Wake up. Draco, wake up."**

"DRACO, MAN! WAKE UP!" Blaise practically had to yell right in his ear. Draco woke with a start. His eyes flashed anger,

"For fuck's sake Blaise! You don't have to shout in my fucking ear! Whaddya want?" He glared at Blaise, furious at him for waking him up. Blaise only smirked and said,

"Sorry mate, this carriage is reserved for the Head's only, and seeing as I not you am Head Boy you are gonna have to leave," Draco shook himself awake and got up to leave, Blaise grabbed him by the arm,

"Word of advice mate, you'd do best to stay on the right side of the others, they still see you as a traitor to the cause." Draco whirled around and shoved Blaise against the nearest wall,

"The cause? What fucking cause? That bloody half-bloods dimwitted notion that he is better then the rest of us? I'm no traitor, not to his cause anyway. Like I said, they'd do best to leave me alone, they don't know who they are messing with," he released Blaise and left the compartment, in the process knocking right into someone...

Hermione, stumbled backwards, she looked up, the one person she did not want to see was now standing in front of her, looking intensely angry,

"Watch where you're going Mudblood!" He spat at her. She glared at him and smirked,

"Such a pleasure having you back Malfoy," she said with venom, he raised an eyebrow at her reaction, the fire he had seen in her eyes had returned, it consumed him,

"Surprised to see me back, Mudblood?" She looked him straight in the eye and said,

"I knew you'd be here, Malfoy." Draco's eyes snapped up, she had repeated the phrase from his dream, he got right in her face,

"What did you just say?" She was shocked by the expression on his face, as if he had heard her say those words before, but he can't have done, she replied cattily,

"You know exactly what I said. Now do you mind, you're in my way," she tried to shove past him but he refused to budge, she leaned back and slapped him round the face, the look in his eye was unfathomable, he moved from her path. She gave him one last look of utter disdain and entered the Heads compartment. He stood for a moment before shaking his head and saying to himself,

"It can't be real. She just a stupid Mudblood, she's nothing. Nothing."

Shaken by her encounter with Malfoy, Hermione hardly registered the other person in the carriage, she sat opposite him, and attempted to calm herself down. Unknown to her and Malfoy, Blaise had witnessed the whole scene, and the situation intrigued him, he watched as Granger tried hard to control her breathing,

"How strange," he thought "Who'd have thought Draco would have such an affect on the little Mudblood," he chuckled to himself, this alerted her to his presence. She recognized the boy who sat across from her, she had seen him conversing with Malfoy at the Slytherin table, his presence here must mean that he was the new Head Boy.

"Who are you?" She asked rather rudely, he smiled, his indigo eyes were rather unnerving,

"There's no need to be so rude you know. I'm the new Head Boy."

"I realize that, but what's your name?"

"Blaise." He could see that she was uncomfortable with being in such close quarters with him, it was amusing to watch. "Do you not remember me from that farce that was Slug Club?" He snickered. She knew he looked familiar, up close he really was quite attractive, she remembered that he was quiet, never really saying much, now though it seemed he wouldn't shut up, "I caught your little drama with Draco just now. Interesting how he would have that effect on you, I didn't realize he bothered you so much." He was cut off by the entrance of McGonagall, come to give them their instructions, Hermione was glad of the intrusion,

"Aaah, Granger, Zabini, Congratulations on your appointment as Head Girl and Boy. I trust that you will get along, despite the rivalry between your houses, and that you will encourage Inter-House Relations, as two of the highest scoring students I am relying on you to keep order this year. In light of the events of last year," here she paused, and looked at both of them in turn, "I feel that the students will be particularly edgy especially around certain people, so I am trusting you to keep the peace. You will be required to organize prefect meetings, and nightly patrols, I shall give you the prefect lists for the year. You will be shown to your quarters after the welcome feast. Now, Miss Granger, if you'll excuse us, I wish to speak to Mr. Zabini alone." Hermione nodded, shot Blaise an inquiring look and left the compartment to return to Harry and Ron. Blaise readied himself for the lecture that McGongall was predictably going to give him, he jumped in first,

"I assume, Headmistress, that this 'talk' concerns Draco?" She looked surprised at his quick grasp of the situation, then nodded,

"Yes Mr. Zabini, it does concern Mr. Malfoy. As, I'm sure you know, he was deeply involved in the 'incident' last year and as a result faced charges at the Ministry. He was subsequently cleared of those charges and readmitted to Hogwarts by the school board. However, even though cleared of any charges against him, I fear that some may look at him with a certain amount of animosity. I am trusting you, as Draco's friend, to keep an eye on him and keep any trouble to a minimum. We both know how quick tempered Draco, and others can be." She left without another word on the subject. Blaise sat back and stared out at the passing countryside. Yes, Draco was quick tempered but he had agreed to keep his head down, he didn't think that Draco's presence in Slytherin house would cause much of a problem, their housemates looked at him and Draco as leaders. Being the sons of the Dark Lords most trusted servant does that, people are easier to control when they are afraid. The door to the compartment opened, Blaise turned to see who had disturbed him, it was Crabbe, Goyle and Nott. He sighed, he really didn't feel like dealing with them right now.

"What can I do for you gentlemen?" He inquired. They sat themselves opposite him, it was Nott who spoke,

"We need to talk Zabini, about Malfoy. We don't trust him." Blaise laughed out loud, they looked at him oddly, "We don't trust him because he begged for mercy at the hands of the Ministry and he didn't fight Potter on the platform." Blaise stopped sniggering and said in mock surprise,

"I didn't realize you lot had enough brain cells to form independent thoughts. Do you think because you took the Dark Mark you are prithee to all the Dark Lords plans? Malfoy is still who he always was and you'd do best to remember it. Respect him or you will have me to answer to, now get gone." They scurried out, like he said before people are easier to control when they have something to fear, and despite their sudden coherence Crabbe, Goyle and Nott would always be afraid of the two Slytherin Princes. The train began to pull to a stop, Blaise pulled on his robe and went to organize the prefects into some semblance of order.

The Great Hall was buzzing with noise, Harry, Ron and Hermione were seated at the head of Gryffindor table, as usual some of the students were whispering and pointing at Harry. He was growing more pissed off by the second, Hermione was beginning to tire of his constant mood swings. She was about to reprimand him for it when McGongall stepped up to begin the sorting ceremony. After this was over, the new Headmistress addressed the students,

"Welcome back to another year at Hogwarts. I understand that this year may be somewhat different, but I know that if we stand united we can face the trials and tribulations that are presented to us," at this statement the grey ceiling of the Great Hall gave a crack of thunder and the doors were flung open, most of the students gasped at the sight of Draco Malfoy, disbelief that he was back etched on their faces, those younger students who knew him only by reputation quivered in their seats. He scowled at the onlookers and stalked to his seat at the head of the Slytherin table, giving no excuse or apology for his late arrival. McGonagall looked at him disapprovingly, then continued with her speech,

"Thank you Mr. Malfoy for the interruption please report to my office after the feast. As I was saying, this year may prove trying, but work hard and stay true to yourselves and we will prevail over anything that is thrown at us. Now can we welcome back Alastor Moody to teach Defense Against the Dark Arts." The Hall broke out in scattered applause, Moodys appearance startling the newest students. "And also congratulate our new Head Boy and Girl, Blaise Zabini and Hermione Granger." Blaise and Hermione stood up and were applauded by their fellow classmates, she could feel Malfoy's piercing gaze on her as she smiled at the students around her. McGonagall continued, "If you should have any problems please feel free to approach them and they shall do their upmost to help. Now all that remains is to enjoy the feast!"

When the feast was over, Draco rose from his seat and sauntered out of the Great Hall, Pansy caught up with him, she nuzzled his neck and purred in his ear,

"Sorry about earlier, Draco, pet. I was just doing what the others told me. I got scared when you told me to leave you alone. I can make it up to you, do you want me to wait in your room? Or will you come to mine?" He shuddered at the motion she was now making in his ear, he shoved her off of him, she stumbled backward, he said to her in a low and dangerous tone,

"I meant what I said earlier Parkinson, leave me the fuck alone, if I find you even anywhere near my room, I will make sure that you'll regret it, you understand me?" She nodded, tears cascading down her face. He stalked off to the Headmistresses office. He arrived to find McGonagall waiting outside for him. He smiled a falsely sweet smile, she looked at him with slight contempt,

"Mr. Malfoy, welcome back. Lemon Drop." The stone griffin moved aside and they made their way up to the Heads Office. Once inside, she motioned for him to sit, he looked around, the office was the same as it was the last time he was in here, except for the addition of Dumbledore's portrait, Draco found himself unable to look at this one for too long, his dead Headmasters blue eyes scrutinized him. McGonagall cleared her throat, he turned to her,

"Now Mr. Malfoy, regarding your re-admittance to the school, there are certain conditions which you will need to follow. Do you understand?" He nodded, a look of contempt and annoyance on his face, she ignored his scowl and continued,

"I understand that it may seem an inconvenience to you, but the Ministry insisted. Firstly, all your outgoing and incoming correspondence will be screened, secondly you will at all times, expect sleeping, be accompanied by another Seventh Year student. If you do not like these arrangements then you can get on the train and go home. I, however believe that it would be best for you to comply, as archaic as these conditions are, you may not like it but it would be best," she said this with a sad look in her eye, as if she truly felt sorry for him. He gave a sneer and said,

"Great, just like living at home with the old man. Can I go?" She frowned, and said,

"Yes, tomorrow your escort will meet you outside the Great Hall." He got up and swept out of the room. He made his way to his private room in the Slytherin Dungeon. The noise in the common room ceased as he entered, all eyes were on him, he glared at the other students, walked across the room and up the stairs, he refused to be intimidated by the fact that the entire population of Slytherin house were gossiping about him. He poured himself a drink, took a sip then threw the glass into the fireplace. They were treating him like a child, making him have an escort, knowing his luck it would probably be Neville Longbottom the wonder idiot or worse, Potty or the Weasel. He flopped onto his bed and fell into uneasy sleep.

Blaise and Hermione loitered in the hall waiting for McGonagall to return from her meeting with Malfoy, whilst they were waiting, Hermione took time to fully take in Blaise's persona, he was tall, not as tall as Ron but taller then Harry, he had a mess of jet black hair, olive skin and dark brown eyes. He was something of an enigma to the students of Hogwarts, never really being noticed, quietly blending in, until now. He looked up, Hermione blushed and turned away, he chuckled,

"Something bothering you Granger?" She scowled and shook her head. He laughed out loud and went back to cleaning his fingernails. She mentally berated herself for having been caught staring at him, he really was, well, gorgeous, she suspected he had Italian blood in him, which to her knowledge would make him hot tempered and unbelievably arrogant. She spied McGonagall coming round the corner, the Headmistress reached them,

"Aah, thank you for waiting for me. If you would please follow me, I will show you to your quarters," Blaise allowed Hermione in front of him, he gave her a sweetly false smile and followed behind. At first he thought that they were going to the Slytherin dungeon but then they took a left at the first corridor and down a staircase, finally they arrived at what looked like a portrait of the two of them. As he got closer, he could see that it was him and Hermione, the Hermione of the portrait was sneaking glances at his likeness, who was flexing his muscles. The whole scene made him laugh. Hermione looked mortified. McGonagall told them the password and the painting swung forward. The common room was huge, it had a seating area besides a magnificent fireplace, two desks, presumably for the two of them, and a small area that looked like a kitchen. The staircase in the centre, led to two massive rooms for the each of them, with an adjoining bathroom. Hermione's eyes widened in awe at the spectacle before her. McGonagall smiled and said,

"I hope you like the space, your things will be in your rooms, if you need to contact me, there is a portrait by the entrance which has a replica in my office. This room will be used for prefect meetings, which you must organize. Now, goodnight to the both you and once again, congratulations." She left the room.

Hermione was exhausted and wanted nothing more then to collapse onto the double bed in her new quarters. In a way she was glad to be away from Gryffindor tower, not that she wouldn't miss the others but here she felt safe and at least now she wouldn't be disturbed in her studies. She realized Blaise was now staring at her,

"That vacant expression suits you Granger, what can you be thinking of? I know, its me naked isn't it? I'm sorry Granger but you are just going to have to keep your hands off, after all the Weasel would not be too happy that his new Princess is thinking such things about the bad ass Slytherin Head Boy," he winked at her and then sauntered over to stand directly in front of her. She could feel his breath on her neck, smell the scent of his cologne, she froze on the spot, his nearness was making her blood boil, "Admit it Granger, you just want me." He chucked her under the chin, he could see the fire in her gaze, her expression otherwise unreadable, standing this close to her, he realized she was actually quite beautiful, if he wasn't careful he would end up in a very sticky situation. She fluttered her eyelashes at him, leaned up and whispered in his ear,

"Oh my god, you're right. I want you. I want you to get the fuck away from me." She socked him one round the face and yelled, "Don't ever come near me again you disgusting excuse for human being. Ron is ten times the man you are." She whirled around and stomped up to her room, she slammed the door and paced the length of the bedroom breathing heavily, muttering under her breath,

"That sleazy, slimy, disgusting Death Eater bastard, how dare he think he can just intimidate me like that, what does he think I am the virgin queen of Hogwarts? As if! He doesn't know a thing about me. Why'd I have to get stuck with him, with that sexy, smoldering...OH MY GOD! What am I saying, I mean how'd I get stuck with that, Slytherin, Death Eater, Draco Malfoy's best friend, idiot," she stopped in the middle of the room, she was being stupid, she could handle him, he was just a person, even if he was unnervingly good looking and will probably invite his Death Eater pals to the common room everyday, including Malfoy. She collapsed onto the bed, exhausted, she fell asleep straight away.

Meanwhile, in the common room, Blaise was still stood where she had left him. He wasn't shocked at her actions, he probably would have slapped him as well because if what he had said. He chuckled lightly, with what he had just found out about the new Head Girl, coupled with what he had witnessed on the train between her and Draco, this was going to be a very interesting couple of weeks, messing with the Gryffindor Princess. Already the cogs in his head were whirling, if he and Draco could get her on side, it would be priceless. He couldn't deny that she was powerful, he had seen the fire in her eyes when she had hit him. They could use power like that, plus he would have no objection to using her in other ways to; although he could already see the connection between her and Draco, all the sniping at each other masking what they truly felt. Hopefully Draco would be up for sharing. She would belong to them, body and soul. He would be hailed a hero, breaking up the so called Golden Trio and stealing their Princess, muggleborn or not, she was a prize worth every ounce of effort. Once they were through with her, she wouldn't care what side she was on in this war, or her allegiance to Potter and the Weasel. He needed a smoke, so he walked to the doors in the seating area that opened onto a balcony that looked over the Black Lake and Forbidden Forest. He lit up and took a drag, smiling to himself, he decided he would relay his plan to Draco in the morning, his expertise would be vital to execute his plan with perfect precision.

**Chapter Four**

**She stirred and woke, the night air biting at her skin. She raised herself from the moist ground and looked all around. The stars were veiled, hiding behind dark clouds. The oncoming storm. In what little light there was she saw him, standing by the lake, the small amount of moonlight bounced off his sleek white blond hair. The tragic hero, blending into the night. She glided up to him and wrapped her arms around him from behind. He sighed and relaxed into her embrace. After a moment he turned and enveloped her in a hug, resting his chin on the top of her head. She started to cry, burying her head in his shoulder. He bent down to her and lifted her head, he wiped the tears away with his thumbs,**

**"No tears baby. Don't cry. Please don't cry." He implored her, if she didn't hold it together he wouldn't be able to do what he had to. She fought back the tears that had yet to fall,**

**"I don't want you to go. I can't do this Draco. I can't do this without you, I can't go on knowing what we had, what we could have been. How am I going to go on, living my life as it is, not knowing where you are, what you're doing, I can't wake up everyday next to him when I want you." She turned away from him, collapsing to the ground, the tears cascading down. He looked out across the night, then dropped to the ground and pulled her to him. **

**"You have to, you know you do. We can't be together like this, there's to much at stake, to many people would be after us. Your side would make you an outcast, discard you like nothing, and mine would kill us both. You know it has to be like this. I don't want to leave you, especially to him, but we don't have any other choices. Please don't cry, please don't make this harder," he hugged her closer, and breathed in everything about her, the way her hair smelt, the warmth of her skin under his fingers, the sniffs she was making as she sobbed her heart out. He turned her face to him, leaned down and kissed her lips,**

**"Hermione, I..." She looked up, wide eyed,**

**"What, Draco, what is it?" **

**"I love you. I know its not exactly the best time, and it makes everything all the worse, but I wouldn't have been able to leave you if you I didn't. I swear to you Hermione, I will find a way for us to be together. I swear i'll find you, i'll always find you," she kissed him deeply and said through tears and pain,**

**"I love you too, and I always will. I'll wait for you, I promise." They kissed, with the passion and intensity of two people who would never again meet like this, never again feel like they did. Draco moved her to a laying position, she kissed all the way down his neck, this was their farewell, the last time. Two lovers, against the world...**

Draco bolted awake, where the hell had that come from! How could he have acted so sappy and disgusting, he ran to the bathroom and vomited. He stripped down and got in the shower, turning the water to scalding hot, he hoped to burn away the memory of Granger, all over him and those hateful words spoken from his lips. Yet the beauty of her smile, and the fire blazing behind her eyes haunted him; she was getting to him, and he was powerless to overcome it.

She bolted upright in bed, pulling half the covers with her, her face still stung with tears. She had to leg it to the adjoining bathroom to throw up. What was that about? She can't really feel that, not for him. She had to do something about this, she couldn't keep this up, sleepless, nightmare filled nights. He was plaguing her every moment. She jumped in the shower and turned it up to boiling, the shower was scalding but it felt good, like she was burning him away. Then and there she made a decision, from now on she would dedicate herself solely to the cause, and to Ron. No more dreaming or thinking in any fashion, about Draco Malfoy. Satisfied with herself she dressed and made her way down to the Great Hall for breakfast. She entered and sat herself down between Ron and Harry, turning to her boyfriend she planted a kiss on his lips and said,

"Good morning, love, how are you?" He looked at her like she was a bit strange, then smiled, kissed her back and said,

"I'm fine babe. How was your first night with that Slytherin prick? He didn't bug you too much? Cause if he did then i'll kick his arse." She laughed somewhat nervously, she had decided not to relate to Ron or Harry, the actions of Blaise Zabini last night for fear it may spark something bigger then it really was. She could handle it herself.

"He was fine, in fact he didn't say two words to me. Lets not talk about that anymore, do you know what our first class is?" Hermione was eager to throw herself into her studies, feeling it would aid her in focusing her thoughts. She however found that this would prove harder then she first perceived, for with the arrival of their timetables came a note that sent her right over the edge, it read like this,

_Dear Miss. Granger,_

_As Hogwarts new Head Girl, the Governors and I have placed in you a certain amount of responsibility, we feel that you possess the level headed-ness and maturity to perform a vitally important role on behalf of the Ministry of Magic. In addition to your role as Head Girl, the Governors and I wish for you to be escort for Draco Malfoy throughout his final year at Hogwarts. As you know he was deeply involved in the situation that occurred last year at Hogwarts, the conditions of his re-admittance require that he be escorted to all classes and at all times during the term. As you share all classes with him it is convenient for you to be the one to carry out this job. The duty will be shared with Blaise Zabini (Head Boy) as he is member of the same house and can escort Mr. Malfoy during times in the Slytherin common room and at Quidditch practice. This is a mandatory task, if you have a problem, please come and see me direct. _

_Yours Sincerely_

_Professor M. McGonagall, Headmistress._

Hermione's jaw dropped, they expected her to babysit the prat, carry out her Head Girl duties, and pass her N.E.W.T.S? It was ridiculous, unfair. Harry and Ron poked her,

"What is it Hermione?" Harry asked. She waved the letter at him, he took it from her and read it, then passed it to Ron. "I can't believe it. She knows how dangerous he is, how could she put you anywhere near that bastard. I am gonna waste him, I swear." Ron looked livid, his ears the burning red colour of his hair.

"We'll go to McGonagall, she will see that you aren't happy with it and assign someone else." She nodded mutely, her logical, rational side was feeling ill at the prospect of having to escort Malfoy, however the side of her that took over in her dreams was thrilled. That rocked her to the core.

Meanwhile, over on the other side of the Great Hall, Blaise was trying to calm a very irate Draco, having just received a letter from the Headmistress he was ready to physically kill someone, the letter read,

_Dear Mr. Malfoy, _

_As per the conditions of your readmission, Miss. Hermione Granger (Head Girl) had been assigned as your escort throughout your final year, aided by Mr. Blaise Zabini. Please cooperate with this as you're future in the school is stringent on your willingness to comply with the conditions._

_Thank You_

_Professor M. McGonagall, Headmistress._

On reading this, Draco had exploded into a string of expletive protest,

"Granger? Fucking Granger? They have stuck me with that jumped up Mudblood bitch? Fucking hell. How the fuck am I gonna deal with that little whore breathing down my neck the whole time. FUCK MAN!" This outburst got him a look from most of his housemates, as well as half the staff. He watched as Granger was dragged in front of McGonagall by the wonder twits, by this time Draco had drenched Pansy in pumpkin juice for only for looking at him so he acted. Blaise had to force him out of the Great Hall to calm down, this arrangement could vastly improve the chance of his plan working, he only had to get Draco to cooperate. He shoved Draco out the main entrance doors and out into the morning air, Draco pulled his arm out Blaise's grip and turned to give the dark wizard an earful,

"What's up your arse, Zabini? I have every fucking right to be pissed at this. Granger! Fucking..." Blaise lifted his hand to cut Draco off,

"Shut up Malfoy, for fuck's sake! Don't you get it? You have to cooperate with this! Otherwise they'll throw you out, and probably into Azkaban, you are still the villain in this situation. Just think you can share a cell with Lucius." Draco scowled and shook his head,

"There is no fucking way I am having that know it all Mudblood follow me around every waking moment. Its bad enough i've been dream..." He cut himself off, then continued in a calmer tone, "That I have to be in the same room as her, now I am supposed to put up with her all day, every day? No way." Blaise smiled, getting Draco on side was going to be easier then he thought, the mere fact that his normally controlled friend had almost let slip that he had been dreaming about the new Head Girl, was a promising step.

"Listen to me, have you ever thought that this could work to our advantage?" Draco looked skeptical, he raised an eyebrow, "Granger, right? She's the epitome of the Virgin Queen right? One third of Potter's pathetic Golden Trio, girlfriend to Potter's dimwitted sidekick? What if that changed? Huh? What if we convinced her that she's better then that? She may be a Mudblood but she's a fucking good witch. I've seen that fire in her eyes." Now Draco was convinced that Blaise was crazy, convincing Granger that the dark side was better then fighting for Potter? The Mudblood wouldn't ever betray her friends. Not for anyone. Yet his head began to swim with images from his dreams, maybe they meant more then he first thought, but still it was Granger. He felt Blaise prod him on the arm, he replied,

"You are kidding right? You know she would never go for that. Especially coming from us, two 'Death Eater' Slytherins, one of which has teased her for the past six years and was also partially responsible for the death of the Headmaster, the other his best friend. Anyway what good would it bring to our side or to us?" He could see the cogs in Blaise's mind working over time, he couldn't seriously be thinking that?

"Just think about it Draco, the Gryffindor Princess, Potter and Weasley's one weakness would belong to us, me and you. You know that this war has nothing to do with blood, you saw that last year on top the astronomy tower. It has to do with one man's lust for power, domination. Turn the Mudblood, we show we have the power. Then the three of us would be unstoppable. You know it makes sense." Draco still had his eyebrow raised, this scheme of Zabini's freaked him out, if he went along with it then the thing of his nightmare may actually transpire. He couldn't deny that part of him lusted after Granger, amidst all the teasing was an actual want for her, but she was still a Mudblood, Lucius had raised him to hate her kind and all they stood for, but then he thought,

"Yeah, but look where that ended him. Granger helped put his arse behind bars. Maybe Blaise is right." After this trail of thought, he looked at Blaise, then said, "Say we do this right? How would we go about it? How do spilt Granger from Potter and Weasley?" Blaise laughed then said in a low voice,

"I saw you last night, on the train. Saw your little tete a tete with her. She came into my carriage almost hyperventilating. Then in our common room, I may have made some advances on her, she smacked me around the face but you could see a part of her was loving it. The key is appealing to the side of her that rebels, the side that made her hit you in third year, the side of her that doesn't give a damn about anything. We convince her that we can give her more then she has ever imagined." Draco went wide-eyed at his suggestion. Seriously he couldn't be suggesting seducing the Virgin Queen of Hogwarts?

"You can't be serious? You are not saying what I think you're saying? She would never fall for you. Or me for that matter." Blaise seemed to think differently,

"You didn't see her last night mate, she was gagging for it, and I wasn't suggesting either one of us for the job, I was saying that we share the job. We've done it before." Draco thought about this statement. yes it was true they had shared before but this was different, this was Granger, she probably didn't even contemplate one bloke let alone two. But then, he had after all dreamed of her in his bed, maybe it was time to admit that these dreams may be portents of the future.

"It won't work but I am willing to try it. It could after all be beneficial to us even if it turns out just to ruin Little Miss Perfects stellar reputation," and maybe he could fuck her out of his head, he added to himself as an afterthought. Blaise smiled and said,

"Thats the spirit! Now get going you have your 'escort' to meet. Remember try and be civil." Blaise wandered off in the direction of the forest. Draco was left to contemplate the utter shit this plan could get them into, it would most likely be the death of them, but a part of him couldn't wait to get under Granger's skin, the thrill of the chase. He relished it.

Harry and Ron, pulled Hermione up by her arms and dragged her in front of McGonagall, throwing the letter on the table in front of her, Harry then proceeded to protest the proposal, completely losing his temper causing everyone in the Great Hall to stare at them,

"What's going on? How can you let Hermione be lumbered with that murdering psycho? She could be in serious danger. Wasn't it enough putting her in a dorm with his best friend, now she has to actively spend her entire day with him? I won't have it, we won't have it, pick someone else because she isn't doing it." Ron then jumped in and said his piece,

"I am not having her watching that ferrets every move, having to trail after him. Like Harry said, he's a murderer, he's dangerous, she is not being alone with him." McGonagall looked extremely angry at this interruption of her breakfast and said in hushed tones,

"How dare you accost me like this at breakfast, I shall speak to all before classes begin, go and wait outside the transfiguration classroom. Now!" They trailed out of the Great Hall, just in time to see Malfoy dragged out the front doors by Blaise Zabini, clearly he was just as annoyed as them at this arrangement. They made their way to the transfiguration classroom, Hermione had never been so embarrassed in her life, how dare Harry and Ron treat her like a child? And in front of the entire school? They were always doing this, smothering her, it made her so angry. McGonagall rounded the corner and ushered them into the classroom, her lips pursed in a tight line,

"Now, Mr. Potter, Mr. Weasley, please tell me the problem in a calm manner. I will not tolerate you losing your tempers." Ron and Harry both started to talk at once, words like "Malfoy" and "Death Eater" thrown in every five seconds, along with "No way, she is going to," Hermione eventually lost it,

"SHUT UP!" McGonagall looked shocked at her sudden outburst.

"Miss. Granger, I would ask you to calm down." Hermione looked sheepish,

"I'm sorry, Professor. Harry and Ron are angry at the fact that I have to be escort to Malfoy for the rest of the year. They have taken it upon themselves to argue against it on my behalf." Hermione gave Harry and Ron a withering look, McGonagall looked from them to her,

"And you Miss. Granger, how do you feel about this position you have been put in?"

"I, I feel that it is extremely unfair that I have been chosen for this. As you know Malfoy and I have never ever got on, he has teased me, humiliated me and I don't trust him. However, I agree that he should be watched and if the Ministry and yourself feel that I would be most competent in this task then, I will do it. If it helps in defeating Voldemort I will do it." Ron and Harry began to protest heavily and berate her for her decision, Hermione cut them off, "Look you two, I know you aren't at all happy with this but you two will be with me most of the time and I am not afraid of him. He is nothing but a pathetic lost little child." McGonagall huffed at this,

"Mr. Potter, Mr. Weasley, I believe you have a class to attend. Miss. Granger, a word if you please?" Harry and Ron left looking extremely unhappy. Hermione turned to her Headmistress, "Miss. Granger, I am pleased that you show the maturity to deal with this situation. I have to say that I was somewhat concerned when the Ministry relayed their plan to me, having witnessed your shaky history with Mr. Malfoy, I believed that you would reject this plan. But you have shown the quality that made the Ministry choose you. You will meet Mr. Malfoy in the Entrance Hall, I believe you have a Arithmancy class to attend?" Hermione nodded and made to leave the room, "However Miss. Granger, a word of caution, the Ministry still has no idea of Mr. Malfoy's true allegiance, there may be some danger involved in this task, be aware. Mr. Zabini will aid you, as I believe he is one of few who can exercise some control over Draco. I do also trust your abilities as a witch and your strength of character. Good Luck." Hermione smiled wearily, troubled and oddly excited she left the room. Minerva McGonagall sat behind her desk, watching the girl leave, a worrisome cloud hung over her,

"Whatever you were planning Albus, I pray to whatever God your with, it works. Otherwise I have just sent that girl to her demise," she whispered under her breath.

Hermione rushed to the entrance hall, feelings of exhilaration coursing through her, now Ron and Harry had to listen to her, had to know that she could look after herself. She hurtled round the corner into the hall, stopping short at the sight. Draco Malfoy. He was leaned up against the staircase, what little sun there was creating a false halo around his head, she had admit that he looked to die for. Wait a second, what had she just agreed to? She would have to spend every waking moment with him. Her dreams suddenly seemed like they could become all too real. She couldn't deny that there was the temptation of the forbidden, but she knew better then to dwell on it, Pure-bloods and Muggleborns, Gryffindors and Slytherins, they weren't meant to mix, the consequences could create a rift in the fabric of reality, and she would never betray Ron or Harry. Malfoy was just an unfortunate job that she had been forced to take.

He had seen her, standing there watching him, then there was that vacant expression he had seen that day at the lake. He cringed at the memory of that day,

"GRANGER!" He barked across the entrance hall, causing any loitering students to turn and see who was making the ruckus. Hermione was woken from her reverie by his deep voice, "Get a move on, Granger we'll be late for class!" Hermione tutted and walked as slowly as she could over him, as much as she loathed being late for class the thought of pissing him off was much more appealing. He turned away from her and started to walk in the direction of their first class, she fell into step beside him.

"I'm surprised. I would have thought you would have made much more protest about this. A Mudblood invading your personal Pureblood space," he turned to her and smirked, she almost fell over, that smirk, it was the one from her dreams,

"Well, contrary to popular belief Granger, I do give a fuck about school, so ergo my not complaining about the fact that I get stuck with you for the rest of the year. So I will make a deal with you, don't talk to me and I won't bother you. I don't like this anymore then you but at least I didn't need a couple of idiots to fight my battles for me."

"Excuse me, what exact purpose do Crabbe & Goyle serve for you? Oh wait, they fight YOUR battles for you." He didn't reply, she looked at him, he had that same dangerous glimmer in his eyes, she half expected to slam her into a wall. Instead he merely said,

"Fair point Mudblood. Now shut up I can't be bothered to argue with you anymore."

So that was how it was, for the next three weeks, Hermione escorted Draco to class, ate lunch with him and studied with him in the library, he never said a anything, only a few scant words regarding schoolwork. Harry and Ron took it upon themselves to escort her everywhere, thus Harry's initial plan of avoiding Malfoy at all costs was shot to pieces. On the other hand, Blaise was taking every opportunity to talk to Hermione and be her 'friend'. Hermione treated him much the same as she treated Malfoy, she ignored him, he was all for giving up on his plan but Draco seemed to persuade him otherwise. They had been having drinks in Draco's room, Blaise was frustrated at the lack of process in the plan and was ready to abandon it all together, Draco however felt that it was progressing just fine,

"You can see her getting more and more annoyed about the wonder idiots trailing after her the whole time. She is about to snap, and that is when we strike. She won't be able to resist it. " Blaise still looked skeptical, "Look, man, this was your idea, you can't back down on me now. I can't explain it but there is something about her. I mean she's different then your average mudblood, she's, I don't know how to describe it. There is more power in her then half the school combined. Look give me a few more weeks and she'll be begging for us to take her away." Blaise just couldn't help but disagree, risky as it was,

"But Draco, she hasn't said more then two words to either of us in at least three weeks. You spend most of your day with her and I fucking live with her, she hates us both. I can't see her going for this one bit," Blaise could see the anger rising, Draco was starting to lose his patience,

"Listen to me, it doesn't matter that she hasn't said anything to us, the fact is that she watches. Haven't you noticed it, she stares incessantly, all the time, wearing that dorky vacant expression of hers. That I have learnt is her mind processing what she sees. I've seen the fire in her eyes, and it burns into you. Never has she looked at Potty or the Weasel with as much intensity. That is the sole reason that this plan is going to work, she needs more from her world, and we are going to give her just that." Blaise nodded slowly, he was right, she wanted more, and they were going to be her release, release from the Golden Trio, release from being the perfect Princess of Gryffindor. She would belong to them, and them to her, more powerful then the Golden Trio, and more obsessively passionate then Voldemort himself. They downed the last drop of Firewhiskey and made their way back to the Head's common room. They were just relaxing on the sofas when the portrait door slammed open and in walked Hermione, her face stained with tears...

**Chapter Five**

Three weeks had passed since Hermione had agreed to be Malfoy's escort, he had kept his word, she didn't talk to him, so he didn't bother her. Only when they studied in the library did he break his silence, but strictly for questions relating to schoolwork, nothing more. Hermione answered his queries with icy coolness, but surprisingly she found in him the perfect study partner. He was shockingly intelligent, far surpassing her in Potions and Arithmancy, she had never realized. After two days of playing babysitter, Harry and Ron begun to escort her everywhere, so it was an odd sight seeing them in the corridors, the Golden Trio with a Death Eater on the side. Most of the lower years were petrified of Malfoy, his notoriety spreading like wildfire down the years, so they generally kept away from Hermione which became a problem because of her role as Head Girl. Blaise helped when he felt like it, recently she had gotten the weirdest feeling that he was coming on to her, so as a rule she ignored him at all times. All in all the two Slytherins were not really bothering her too much, it was Ron and Harry that were getting to her. Her epiphany that they had finally got the message that she could look after herself was short-lived, Ron was with her at all times bar the classes they didn't share, and Harry joined him when he had the time, Ginny tagged along sometimes to. Hermione felt as thought she was surrounded, watched 24/7, the only times she felt free were in her classes with Malfoy and in her common room with Blaise, this she found strange seeing as she never spoke to either of them, but the fact that they didn't smother her was rather appealing. Everyday her anger rose and then one day it happened, she snapped and Ron, Harry and Ginny were on the receiving end, unluckily Blaise and Draco were also witness to her outburst. It all started the night before, Ron had found her bawling her eyes out from the sheer stress of life, he had put his arm around her and comforted her, telling her it was alright and that he loved her. For once in his life he had been compassionate and caring, but then he had ruined it by trying it on with her. Hermione had shrugged him off of her and said,

"For Christ's sake Ron! You almost had me thinking you were anything but a horny hormonal rat! Thanks a lot." She had run back to her common room, to her dismay, Blaise and Draco were lounging on the couch, she slammed the portrait door shut. This had broken them from there silent relaxation, they took one look at her and surprisingly looked concerned. This frightened Hermione more then Ron's 'advances', she ran past them up to her room and collapsed on her bed in hysterical sobs. She cried herself to sleep.

Draco looked at Blaise and smiled. It had started, she would be theirs by the end of the week. The two Princes of Slytherin were that much closer to ensnaring their Princess, with that thought in mind they both slipped into a somewhat drunken slumber.

**She felt her blood boil, she was so angry and so wanted to have her revenge. How dare they treat her like she was a China Doll? Where would they be without her? She felt herself growing more and more resentful towards them, this erupted into feelings of sudden hatred. She needed something more, so she ran, heading for the one place she knew would relieve the tension and hatred boiling within her. She reached her destination within seconds, raising her hand to knock, she jumped slightly when the door opened before she had even made a noise. Peeking round, she found the room empty and dark. The dark colours were contrasted by the silver of the moon shining through the open window. She shivered, someone was watching her. She began to regret ever coming here, they had said that she was welcome at any time, but never before had she taken them up on the offer. Now she was here she was scared. Scared of what she was becoming, scared of what she felt, scared that they knew what she wanted before she did. A noise resonated through the darkness, a match flared up in the corner, illuminating the dark eyes of the one that struck it. The smell of expensive Italian cigarettes seeped into her nostrils, she inhaled deeply, knowing the smell all to well. She stood transfixed at the figure in the corner, he chuckled lightly,**

**"We knew you'd come eventually." The other presence in the room came up behind her, she could feel his warm breath on the back of her neck, the whole situation made her flush with exhilaration. A strong pair of hands snaked around her waist, brushing her hair to one side, he planted feather light kisses down her neck, had he not been holding her around the waist, she would have fallen to the ground with the sensations he was awakening in her. The anger she had been felt began seeping out of her, dissipating with his touch. The first person stubbed out his cigarette and moved to stand directly in front of her, chucking her under the chin he said,**

**"I knew you wanted this, us. Tell me, why tonight? You could have had this when we first offered, but you chose now, why?" She struggled to answer, the other man's hands had moved under her blouse and were currently stroking her sides gently, she breathed in sharply, composing herself enough to answer him,**

**"I was angry, so angry. They were smothering me, treating me like I was a weak pathetic little girl. After everything I've done for them? They just keep me around so they can feel like they have some use in the world. Not anymore, I need people who want me for me, they can't give me that. I know that you two can. I don't care what you are, what you've done," she turned her head to stare into the dark grey eyes of the man behind her, "Show me your world, show me what its like to be on the winning side. Make me feel something other then weakness." She turned herself fully around to face the man with the grey eyes, he spoke in a low husky voice in her ear,**

**"I always knew you'd end up like this Hermione. Falling apart in front of me. Don't fear this, love, we have the power to put you together again. You are stronger then they have let you believe, with us you will be a Queen, the most powerful woman on this earth. I'll show you my world, my love, you'll be its Queen, and we'll rule it, like we were born to." She succumbed to him, to them. First was Draco, ravaging her mouth with his, then Blaise wrenched her out of his grasp and kissed her slowly. She was burning from the heat of it, she heard him whisper in her ear,**

**"Hermione, Hermione..."**

"HERMIONE! WAKE UP!" She awoke to find Ginny Weasley standing over her, Hermione sat upright in her bed, "Hermione, you missed breakfast, Ron sent me here to find you. Are you ok? You looked slightly, erm, frazzled." Hermione got up and looked in her floor length mirror, her hair was sticking out in all directions and her face was red, She looked a wreck. She stormed into the bathroom and got into the shower, she turned the water to freezing, for the first time in her life needing a cold shower. She began to mutter and curse under her breath, her teeth chattering,

"God damn Slytherins, stupid dreams. Fuck him and him. Stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid. How can I be thinking that, of all things, and with them. Utterly uncalled for, ridiculous. DAMN DAMN DAMN." In her anger she began to hit the tiles of the shower room, hit after hit after hit. The tiles began to crack, her hand bleed, turning the water crimson, she collapsed in the corner of the shower, shaking uncontrollably, she cried and cried until she had no tears left. Then she picked herself up, dried off, wrapped her hand with a bandage and went to get ready for the day.

"Arghhhhhh!" Draco shouted as he woke, he moved to get off the sofa, but the pain in his head was so extreme that he only managed a few centimetres before he collapsed again. "Oh god, oh god," he had a mammoth hangover, as well as another small, well not exactly small, problem rising. He needed a shower, a cold one right now. He got up, his anger surging, as he passed him he pushed Blaise off the sofa, he fell to the floor with a thud,

"Ergghherhghh," he mumbled incoherently, "oh god, I'm dying. Eurgh! I am never drinking again," he then realized something, he had just had the most puzzling dream, maybe it had been the alcohol or maybe it was because of the plan, either way he had a problem to go take care of in the bathroom, he stumbled up the stairs. Someone was in the bathroom, Hermione's door was closed, so it wasn't her, it had to be...

"MALFOY! GET THE FUCK OUT OF MY SHOWER RIGHT THE FUCK NOW!" The door to Hermione's room opened with a bang, she stood there, her hair loose around her shoulders, that fire blazing behind her eyes,

"Zabini, if you are going to be shouting course and horrible language, please do it elsewhere, and why the fuck is Malfoy in OUR bathroom? Oh wait, I forgot he must have stayed over yeah? Aww, are we having the lover's bathroom fight?" She immediately wished she hadn't said that, considering the nature of her dream last night. She felt herself blushing, Blaise raised his eyebrows,

"Well, well Miss. Granger, what on earth are you blushing about? Is the thought of me and Draco that appealing to you? Hmmm? I knew you wanted me," he braced himself for her to whack him round the face again, but it didn't come. Instead she said in a controlled voice,

"Are you sure it isn't the other way around Zabini?" A truly Slytherin smirk split across her face, she looked down to his crotch then back up again to his face, laughing she slammed the door in his face.

"Hahahahaha. She sure got one over on you there mate," Draco stood in the door of the bathroom, a miniscule towel barely doing its job, cold water dripped off of his hair, "Don't worry Blaise, there's still some hot water left." He sauntered past, Blaise almost hit him, but controlled the urge and entered the bathroom.

Draco waited for her in the Heads common room, luckily their class was second period so they hadn't missed anything as a result of oversleeping. He felt somewhat tense about seeing her, especially after all the dreams, and last night. If she was feeling anything like what he was right now, she would be aggressive and irate towards him, mingled with the undeniable feelings of lust. This was going to be fun. She stamped down the stairs, not looking, she would have ploughed straight past him had he not stepped right in front of her, she bounced of his chest, her head snapped up. On seeing him, her steely determination faltered, he had literally stopped her in her tracks,

"Not trying to get out of your duties as escort today are we Granger?" He smirked the trademark Malfoy smirk, she looked about ready to fly of the handle at him, but managed to compose herself,

"How could I? Seeing as you're standing right in front of me and apparently spent the night passed out on the sofas in my room, then used my shower this morning. There's no getting rid of you, if I didn't know any better, i'd say that you like spending all your time with me," she peered under her eyelashes at him, a fake coy look of innocence on her face, she pouted, "Is the big bad Slytherin Prince losing his cool?" That was when he surprised her, he moved with lightening fast speed, his Seeker reflexes moving into overdrive, grabbing her arms and slamming her back into the wall,

"Maybe I do like your company, Granger. Our conversations are all so so scintillating," he was whispering right in her ear, his deep voice sent shivers down her spine, "I watched you talk 'down' Zabini this earlier, quite entertaining, makes you wonder though doesn't it, what could he have possibly been thinking?" He raised an eyebrow. His proximity to her was startling, she could see right into his eyes, deep grey pools; his eyes had always been so cold, but now she could see something in them, unmistakable lust. She placed her hand on his chest and shoved, he stumbled backward,

"We're going to be late for class, ferret. Let's go." Snatching up her school bag, she marched out of the portrait hole, if she had stayed longer she would have seen Blaise emerge from the shadow of the stairs, a mischievous glint in his eye, he looked at Draco who was smiling back at him, the blond walked over to him, and patted him on the shoulder,

"See, nothing to worry about mate." Blaise nodded and watched as Draco walked out of the door. Blaise went back to his room, they were closer to achieving their goal. Every time he thought of the brunette girl now he got chills down his spine, the power in her was unimaginable, together they would make an unstoppable team, the world would cower at their feet. He had to admit, after the dream last night, his need for her had become greater, it had taken all his willpower not to take her then and there when she had stood on the threshold of her door, and again when Draco had had her pinned against the wall. He sighed, entering the bathroom for yet another cold shower.

Hermione hadn't said another word to Draco all morning, he hadn't spoken at all. Everything was getting to her, Harry's unpredictable temper, Ron's incessant attention, Ginny's moping that all Harry did was yell at her. She was aching for a fight, to just lose control and shout, she willed Malfoy to say something, anything giving her the outlet she needed to hex everything in sight. The opportunity came at lunch, it was not Malfoy however who caused her to snap. As predicted by Blaise and Draco it was of course the wonder idiots who finally tipped her over the edge. They had all been seated together, the atmosphere was tense, as it always was when Harry and Draco were forced into company with each other, Hermione was seated opposite Ron and Harry, Ginny was on her right, Blaise and Draco to her left, though slightly further down the table. Harry was in a foul mood, Ron was trying to be funny and Ginny was whining at Harry, she reached for her goblet of pumpkin juice, at the same time Ron reached for it in order to hand it to her, all in all it resulted in the juice being tipped into her lap. She stood up, knocking the table, her hair wild and her anger overspilling,

"FOR FUCK'S SAKE RON I CAN PICK UP A GLASS OF SODDING JUICE MYSELF! LOOK AT WHAT YOU'VE DONE!" She gestured to her robes which were soaked through, the two Slytherins watched with amused, smug expressions on their faces, Ron started to garble an apology, "What thats I can't understand you? GOD! I've had it with this! I never have a moment to myself, if its not you trailing after me, its you sending Ginny to find me. Its bad enough I have to be in Malfoy's company all the time, who knew that you two could actually annoy me more then he is right now!" They sat there in shocked silence, Hermione had never acted like this before, her normally brown eyes had darkened to almost black in her rage. All the students in the Great Hall had turned to watch the drama unfold, Blaise was lounging back in his seat his hands behind his head, Draco had picked up his goblet and was treating it like light entertainment, she did not let the fact that she had an audience deter her, however Harry had now stood up, he shouted back at her,

"SO SORRY HERMIONE, SORRY THAT WE ACTUALLY CARED ENOUGH TO LOOK OUT FOR YOU! You know what HE is," he gestured at Draco, who mouthed 'me' with mock concern, "You know what he did, we just wanted to protect you from him, we weren't sure how well you'd handle it." This made her more angry, if that was possible,

"EXCUSE ME? How well i'd handle it? How many times have I saved your ARSE POTTER? More then I can count, I am perfectly capable of handling myself. I don't need you or Ron to protect me, and for God's sake get over yourself for one minute! Yeah you've had it rough but blaming yourself for everything its stupid and self righteous." Ron jumped up,

"Hey Hermione that was below the belt, you can't say that! His parents died, so did his Godfather. Then he lost the one person who could help him finish this! He has every right to be angry with the world."

"Thats just typical isn't it, jumping to his defense. I'm meant to be your girlfriend, surely you can understand what I'm saying?"

"You know what I can't be bothered to argue with you on this Hermione, you want to act like a spoilt little brat thats fine, just go off and get killed, leave us to it." Hermione's jaw dropped, so this what they thought of her,

"Ron's right, just shut up and go stick your head in a book or something, we'll do better without you." Harry, Ron and Ginny got up and left the hall, she sat down and calmly finished her lunch. When she had finished, she got up and wandered from the Hall, neglecting her escorting duty. Blaise got up to follow, but Draco made him sit down,

"Not yet, leave it 10 minutes. Then we go find her. I know where she's gonna go." Blaise could not fathom what Draco was planning, the argument had gone well, for them that is. Potty and Weasel had acted as they had predicted, they hadn't expected Ron to wish her dead (Draco had had to prevent himself from decking the red haired moron) but this left her isolated from them, vulnerable, exactly how they wanted her. Ten minutes passed, still Draco did not move, Blaise was getting itchy feet, if they didn't go now she would be lost to them, to bitter and lonely to accept anyone else.

"Malfoy, come on let's go!" The reigning Prince of Slytherin got up, downed his remaining juice, with the extra shot of Firewhiskey that he had added to it, Dutch courage and all that, and sauntered out of the Great Hall, Blaise followed behind. The students could not help but watch, especially the girls, the presence that they both commanded was astounding, the way they moved, with purpose, the girls practically fell out of their seats. Draco threw open the main doors and stepped out into the sunlight, his gaze piercing the landscape before finally settling on the large tree on the shores of the Black Lake; sure enough a solitary figure sat under the tree, they had found their prey.

She watched the sun bounce of the lake, the rays bouncing off in all directions. Disordered, like her life. As much as she had wanted to let Harry and Ron know that she had issues with how they were treating her, she hadn't expected them to retaliate in quite the way that they had. She didn't want to absolutely fall out with them, they were her best friends. Two shadows fell across her, she sighed,

"If you've come out here for Round two, forget about it, I don't want to argue anymore," whoever it was didn't answer, she looked up. She didn't expect this, "Come to gloat? Save it, I don't want to listen to two Slytherin prats laughing at me." The blond smiled, so did the dark one, Draco spoke first,

"On the contrary Granger, quite the opposite. We've come to stop this." She was confused by his statement, the feelings that were surfacing were scaring her, it was like her dream,

"Stop what Malfoy?" This time Blaise stepped towards her and said,

"Stop this feeling that your feeling, the feeling that they've caused in you."

"We've been watching Granger, watching them suffocate you, starve you of all the oxygen in a room. I also watched you when we were alone, you were different, more alive. Blaise noticed it to." Blaise took two steps towards, her, he was standing so close, he ran one long finger down her cheek,

"They don't appreciate you, they don't treat you how you should be treated, like a Queen." The words reverberated round, echoes from the dream, Draco's head snapped towards him, Hermione's eyes widened,

"What? I mean, i mean.. you expect me to believe that two Slytherins, who may or may not be DEATH EATERS, think that they can treat me better then my best friends who I have known for six years! You have got to be kidding," she laughed nervously, Draco stepped towards her, whispering in her ear again,

"It's true, I know you feel it to, I know what you want, I dreamt it to..." Draco had put two and two together, twice now echoes of his dreams had spilt into reality, she had been dreaming about him, he could tell by the way she avoided his gaze, how certain phrases rattled her, how she knew exactly how to rattle him; now it seemed that they were sharing the same dream, with Blaise there to. "The three of us, its inevitable, you know it and we know it, we're more alike then you think Hermione. Don't let the past get in the way." She turned from them both, they smiled, it was working,

"Don't let the past get in the way Malfoy? You have hated me forever, you are evil, manipulative and cruel, I am nothing like you. Don't call me by real name, you don't have the right!" She ran from them, back to the castle, she couldn't go back to the Head's common room, or the Gryffindor common room, or the library, they were all places she would be found. She went to the seventh floor, walked three times back and forth, then entered the Room of Requirement, funnily enough, it became for her an exact replica of the room from her dream the other night. The bed, the balcony, the moon, it was the same. The only thing missing was the two people in the room for that she was kind of grateful. She collapsed on the enormous bed and was out like a light. She awoke several hours later, feeling more exhausted then she was before, having had missed all of her afternoon classes, she wanted to go back to her common room to make up for her truancy, but the common room meant Blaise, and Blaise meant Draco. She didn't understand why they had said all that shit to her, she was a Mudblood, the lowest of the low to two Pure-bloods like them, what on earth did they want with her? Were her dreams of him becoming reality? Harry and Ron had abandoned her, were Malfoy and Zabini offering themselves in place of them? No, that wasn't it, she had never had dreams of Harry and Ron like that; they weren't offering to be her friends, they were offering her something more, something forbidden, something she longed for. How long would she be able to fight this feeling that was brewing in her head? The feeling like the world that she was living in was a smoke screen, and if she let them Draco and Blaise could clear it, show her more, much more.

"Well that went swimmingly." They were back in Blaise's Heads dorm room, Blaise was pacing back and forth taking long swigs from a bottle of Firewhiskey, he was pissed, "What were you thinking Draco? You came on too strong, she's right, you've hated her for years, now you're turning round and saying you want her? You totally freaked her out!" Draco said nothing, he didn't even look at him, Blaise came up right next to him, "Draco! Are you listening to me!" He hit him on the arm, Draco moved fast, curling his fingers around Blaise's throat, the Italian barely had time to react before he was slammed into the stone wall,

"Do that again and I will make sure you won't ever shag anyone again. Clear?" Blaise nodded, fear was evident in his eye, Blaise was slightly bigger then Draco, not in height but in muscle, but Draco's strength was amazing, a mixture of Quidditch and weight training, Blaise knew better then anyone to underestimate the Malfoy heir, "I can't believe you are questioning this. Didn't you see it, we got under her skin. That dream we had last night and don't say you didn't dream it to, she had it to. I could tell. I think that some of the dreams I've been having recently she's had as well. I don't know what this means, but I know that its telling me that she's the one. All my life I have been someone else's puppet, my Father, Voldemort, hell even Dumbledore tried to use me, I learnt this summer to be my own person and I realize now that I can't do that without her. All the teasing, the fighting has led to this, me and her, we belong together and with you, we will be the strongest alliance this world has seen. Are you in or are you out? After all this was your idea."

"I'm in. It's just taking longer then expected." He handed the bottle over to Draco who drank the remains of it. Blaise walked to the window and lit up, dragging the smoke into his lungs. It was a filthy muggle habit, but Blaise couldn't give it up, neither could Draco. They heard the portrait door open and close. Hermione. He left Blaise and went to go talk to his Queen.

He found her curled up on the couch, a look of deep thought etched on her beautiful face, he sat down next to her, she looked at him in alarm, and said in a small, weary voice,

"Please, Malfoy just leave me alone. I don't want to talk to you." She made to get up but he pulled her down again. He looked at her, sincerity in his eyes, his beautiful eyes,

"Hermione, I swear to you, I don't want to hurt you. Let me explain everything, I need you to understand this. Will you give me that?" The seriousness in his voice made her really take him in, close up he was almost angelic, but the sadness in his eyes, and the faint scar bisecting his lip, told her that this was a very different person from the one that tormented her for six years. She gulped, not really trusting herself to talk, she managed to say,

"Ok, talk."

"Last year, I did something incredibly weak and stupid, I realize that now. But, you have to believe I did it to save my Mother. Voldemort was going to kill her if I didn't follow through with the plan, I had to save her. It was during the summer, when I was hiding out, that I kept thinking about you. I couldn't understand it, why would I spare a thought for you? When I got back to the Manor I dreamt of you, we were together in the dream, I didn't want to believe it. But then we got back to school and there you were, the same as always, defiant and unafraid. I realized something, the dreams I was having, they all meant the same thing. All my life I have been told what to do, by my parents, teachers, Voldemort, I didn't want to do that anymore, I wanted to be my own person, I can't do that without you." He paused allowing her to take it in. She had to know this, "Hermione, I am so sorry for all the crap I have laid on you, it was never the way I truly felt. All that Pure-blood shit, my Father beat it into me, I couldn't care less. You are the most powerful, amazing person I know. I want us to be together, let me show you what its like to be someone other then who you are expected to be. Blaise, he is a part of this to, he has had almost the same kind of life, he wants you. We're here for you, anytime you need us, we'll be waiting." She didn't reply immediately but after a while she spoke,

"I dreamt of you to. I didn't know what to make of my dreams, I was a horrible person. I betrayed my friends just to be with you. But then, in one dream you were leaving me, the unbelievable pain I felt that I might never see you again, it felt like it killed me. I don't know what to make of what you've said. I don't know if I can trust you, right now I feel I can't trust anyone. I'll see you tomorrow." And that was that she went to her room leaving him staring into the fire.

**Chapter Six**

A week has passed since her last conversation with Malfoy, since she had argued with Harry and Ron. She kept out of the way of all of them, sticking to the library, McGonagall had found her on the second day,

"Miss. Granger, it appears that you have been neglecting your duty, has there been some sort of altercation between yourself and Mr. Malfoy?" Hermione shook her head,

"No, Professor, erm, I fell behind slightly in a couple of my subjects and Blaise offered to watch Malfoy this week to let me catch up. Did he not tell you?" Luckily McGonagall accepted her lie and left her to it, now here she was five days later, alone. Fortunately the time alone had given her ample opportunity to ponder the meaning of Draco's declaration. He had changed, she knew that for sure, he had grown up and the boy who contributed to the horror of last term was gone. However, her dreams of him told her that the darkness in him was not quelled by this change, it frightened her and excited her. In her mind she knew it was absurd, all these years fighting alongside Harry and Ron and all of a sudden it was changing, she felt herself becoming something else, something unreal. Was Malfoy right? Were they the same, always searching for more from the world? She was distracted from this trail of thought by Ginny sitting down next to her.

"What do you want?" Ginny looked taken aback, as if she was surprised by Hermione's reaction,

"I came to talk to you. Harry and Ron have been nightmares all week, they can't seem to hold it together without you. I'm sorry too, I shouldn't have let them treat you like that. Please, please let them talk to you, they really want to make amends." Although Hermione was still hurt by the argument, she did miss them and wanted to make up.

"Ok, i'll talk to them," Ginny nodded and got up to leave, Hermione felt she should say something else, "Gin? I'm sorry to, I've been a bit of a nightmare recently. I don't know what's come over me. I haven't been sleeping well, I am barely keeping up with my work. I've been...anyway tell Harry and Ron I will come to Gryffindor common room for seven tonight. See you later yeah?" Hermione looked back down at her book, Ginny made to say something else but bit back her words, whatever was bothering Hermione had really got to her, she was different and Ginny wasn't sure if it was a good thing.

He had overheard the whole conversation, and it troubled him, if she went back to them now they would lose her forever. She had almost told Ginny about him, he could feel his name about to roll off her tongue, but she had hesitated, that was at least a glimmer of hope. She hadn't been near him since last week in the common room. He had tried to explain to her where he was coming from, it wasn't an easy thing especially given their history, He wasn't sure he could explain it himself, but it had happened, he had fallen hard and deep for the Gryffindor Princess and he wasn't going to give up. He suspected that the feelings had always been there, but because of his Father and his Master, Draco never had the chance to be who he was; true he was as ambitious as Lucius but he wasn't a neo-facist psychopath, he didn't hold to all this Pureblood shite, not anymore. Last summer destroyed any trace of the boy his Father had brought up. Draco was his own man, and had his own views on the world. He had come to realize that Hermione was as much a part of his world as his best friends, without her he would never have had anyone to spar with as he had her; she had always treated him differently to everyone else, most people were afraid of him, or wanted to fight him but she treated him like he was just another face in the crowd. At first it had pissed him off, now he knew that he admired it in her, it made him crave her more. Most people wouldn't believe the 180 his view of her had taken, but it had happened and she wanted it to. Draco sat and watched her for a long time, the way her hair fell around her shoulders in perfect ringlets, the curve of her lips as she sucked the end of her quill, the intensity in her eyes as she fathomed out what to write next. She was enthralling. He had to act, to make her see that she could be more without Potter and Weasley. He stepped out of the shadows, she looked up, and gasped,

"You've been avoiding me," he said. She was taken aback by his appearance, he looked incredible, his blond hair slightly messed, falling into his stormy grey eyes, she took a huge breath to stop herself from fainting. He spoke again, "My God Granger, are you ok? You look kind of flushed?" He walked towards her chair, she got up quickly and scooted back,

"I'm fine Malfoy, why, why would I be not fine? I'm not flushed. I am perfectly unflushed. How long have you been there? Were you listening in on my conversations? You were! Great way to earn my trust!" He laughed, he was laughing at her, she burnt with anger, "Now you're laughing at me, thanks ferret, now I know where I stand with you!" He stopped laughing, grabbing her arm as she went to leave, trapping her between him and the desk,

"Sorry Granger, I didn't mean to make fun. For your information I was listening to your conversation, but only because I happened to be in the aisle next to here. You going to forgive those two idiots, aren't you?"

"They're my best friends Malfoy, I can't live without them. What, did you think that you make one heartfelt confession to me and everything changes? You're still evil and so is your little friend. The thought of us, me, you and him together makes me want to vomit," her voice wavered, "You can't change the past Malfoy, and you can't change. Now let me go, I have to meet Harry and Ron." She wanted to get away from him, but found herself reluctant to move from her position, Draco noticed this,

"I am not stopping you from leaving Hermione, I don't want to stop you from doing anything. But know this, what I said to you the other night is the truth. I am not the person you knew. I know every bone in your body is telling you to run and never look back but I implore you to stay. I don't care if you make up with the wonder idiots," she made a scoffing sound at the nickname, "As I was saying I don't care about that, but I care about you and they will just use you the same as always. You know they will. They will make you feel small and pathetic until you start believing it. We can give you the world, make you feel strong and powerful and loved. Just give us, me the chance to prove it to you." She looked at him with big brown eyes, she knew he was right, he was always right. He knew her mind better then she did, she could see that he needed her, wanted her, but she couldn't betray her friends, she just couldn't,

"I can't. I can't betray them. No matter what I feel. Please let me go. Draco. Please." The use of him first name shocked him, the plea in her voice shooting straight through his heart. He released her, she leant up and kissed him on the cheek, she whispered in his ear, "Thank-you. For caring. But I can't be with you." He simply nodded, as she left he said in a stern voice,

"You may think that this is it, but we'll always be here, waiting. I will never give up." He brushed past her almost knocking her to the ground, he made his way to the Head's rooms, he needed to talk to Blaise. He found the Head Boy leaning on the windowsill smoking. He smiled wearily at his friend, Draco was buzzing,

"She's giving in to it." The two Slytherins, smiled, it had begun.

Hermione curled up in front of the fire in her old common room, the confrontation with Draco in the library had knocked the energy out of her. She knew now that her feelings towards him had completely changed, the dreams and his proposition had made her realize that what she had been searching for had been in front of her all the time. The spark, the missing thing in her life was him, but she could never allow him to fill that void in her life; it would have to remain empty for the rest of her life. The situation with Blaise was somewhat different, she didn't see him as she saw Draco. Blaise was an enigma, she couldn't work him out, but she wanted to, she wanted that so much. It all felt new to her, these feelings of lust for not one but two people. They had awakened in her a new not entirely unwelcome feeling. The temptation of the forbidden, let Harry and Ron protect her from that. She stopped, thinking of Harry and Ron in the same train as Draco and Blaise made her feel like a disloyal tramp, she couldn't have the two Slytherins not without the consequences. She had Ron, he was her priority, and Harry, helping Harry destroy Voldemort. Speaking of the two of them, it was already a quarter past seven and they hadn't shown up, she clicked her knuckles impatiently. This was typical, they had probably gotten sidetracked talking about bloody Quidditch. Half past came and went, at seven forty five the portrait opened and in they walked, laughing and joking. They stopped dead when they saw her. Harry swore under his breath, Ron garbled an apology,

"Hermione, we're so sorry, we got sidetracked, but we're here now, we want to talk. The other day we acted stupid and ignorant, we should have realized that we were smothering you, but its just we don't trust the ferret, he's evil and cruel and we didn't want you to get hurt. We know that it was bad of us to talk to you how we did, but just want to protect you."

"Yeah, Ron's right Hermione. I'm sorry to. These past few months have been really tough, but I am trying to be positive about this. I have to be. I was being overprotective because I don't want to lose anyone else to this stupid selfish war. You can understand that right?" She took a while to reply,

"I'm sorry, I did say some horrible things. You know I appreciate you helping me, and looking out for me but you have to understand that I am capable of looking after myself." Harry looked at Ron, they both looked entirely unconvinced, Harry came and put his arm around her,

"Hermione, you are an amazing witch, but we are not about to leave you to be alone with Malfoy twenty four seven. He is more dangerous then we ever imagined. Last year proved that. He can't be trusted and I am not losing you to Death Eaters." Ron came to the other side of her,

"You're my girlfriend Hermione and I, I love you. You can't handle Malfoy alone, he's to powerful now. Tell her what the Order discovered Harry." She was beginning to get a bit peeved with them, they still weren't listening to her, Harry continued,

"During the summer, he was initiated. He's a Death Eater Hermione, the Order confirmed it last week. Zabini is to, as well as a bunch of others. We've been to McGonagall, we don't want you in a dorm with him, who knows what he'll try. We can't expose them though, so we're stuck with them. Now do you see why you need our protection?" She shrugged them off of her, she knew this already, Malfoy had told her as much himself, now she had made up her mind, they couldn't give her what she wanted most of all, independence, freedom, respect. Damn them both, the lines had been blurred for her. Good and evil, it meant nothing to her, not anymore.

"Neither of you have any idea do you! You haven't learnt! I CAN TAKE CARE OF MYSELF! I understand that its your instinct to protect me, but you are treating me like a child! Like a weak, pathetic child who can't do anything for herself! Its nauseating!" They couldn't believe her,

"For fuck's sake Hermione! If you stop acting like such a child, we'll stop treating you like one! We don't want to lose you, can't you see that! Stupid woman!" Ron knew that he had overstepped the mark, she shook her head and walked out, what they didn't realize was that now they had truly lost her, to the enemy they were so keen on protecting her from and there wasn't a damn thing they could do. Draco and Blaise had promised her the world, and she was bursting with the need for it. Her anger surged through her, seeping into her veins like a parasite. They only cure lay in the room that her legs had carried her to. She raised her hand to knock...

Ginny knew it had gone badly the moment she entered the Gryffindor common room, she stood in front of the two of them, hands on her hips,

"What happened? Where's Hermione?" Harry looked up at her, the light from the fire coupled with her flaming red hair made her look as though she had set the room ablaze, he got up and gathered her in his arms,

"I don't know what happened Ginny. She's different, I feel like I don't know her anymore. She doesn't understand that all we are doing is trying to keep her out of harms way." Ron hadn't moved, his jaw was set and his gaze was cold,

"Somethings wrong with her, I've never seen her like that before. Its like she didn't want to be here with us. I don't recognize her anymore." Ginny heaved a huge sigh, boys would never learn,

"You two idiots! Of course she's changed, she's grown up! She's just as frightened by all this, like you. She's afraid that she'll lose the two of you, so she's trying to keep you out of trouble! You need to let up on her, let her be her own person. She'll come around eventually." Harry and Ron hoped to Merlin that Ginny was right, Hermione was one of them and they didn't want to lose her.

She knocked twice, there was no answer, she began to turn away, this was a bad idea. At the last moment the door opened, she spun back, there wasn't anyone behind the it, before she could change her mind she tentatively entered Blaises dorm. It was dark, the only light was from the sliver of moon, illuminating the area by the window. On first look it appeared to be empty, she peered around, she was having a case of major deja vu, was this a dream? It felt like it was, she had been here before. She heard a movement behind her, spinning on her heel, she came face to face with Blaise, he smelt of cigarettes and cologne, she squeaked,

"Blaise! I..I, the door it just opened, I'm sorry I shouldn't be here!" She started towards the door, but he was too fast, blocking her path the moment she moved, she panicked; why had she come here? He sensed her discomfort, and moved, to stand right next to her, leaning to whisper in her ear,

"The door is there, Cara, you're free to walk out of it, but ask yourself this-something bought you here tonight, and my prediction is that it won't go away anytime soon." She became aware of another person in the room, tall and sexy, Draco Malfoy stood in front of her, stroking her cheek he said,

"Come back when you really mean it. Till then think seriously about this Hermione, are you willing to give up anything for us? Willing to give yourself to us completely? Are you ready to let us teach you the ways of our world? Can you honestly say this is what you want?" She looked up at time, he was heart breakingly beautiful, the intensity in his grey eyes drove deep into her soul, she so desperately wanted what they were offering but right now she was too confused to think straight. So she left the two gorgeous, sexy Slytherins, standing there aching for her. Retreating for the comfort of her room she couldn't believe what she had almost done. However, they had been there for her, when she had needed them most. Harry and Ron had demeaned her, insulted her, and she had been angry, in spite of all that she still couldn't imagine them not being there for her. Would she have ruined all of that, a six year long friendship for one night giving into her lust? Would it have been fair on Draco and Blaise? No, feeling awful and hateful she tossed and turned all night, her sleep punctured with nightmares of fire and blood, the walls of the castle closing in on her, waking only to dwell on the memory of Blaise standing there wanting her and Draco's eyes driving right through her.

Saturday dawned clean and crisp. A faint red glow punctured the skyline, the sun rose bleeding light over the vast grounds of the castle. She awoke almost as soon as she had fallen asleep, the dawn chorus waking rousing her. She yawned and stretched out, padding over to the window she took in the view. From her vantage point she could see over the lake, and the forest, the early sunlight piercing everything; the scene was so breathtaking that she almost forgot her troubles. Her gaze travelled to the tree by the lake, where it had all started, a figure stood under the tree. Draco. He was leaning against the trunk, dressed in dark jeans, a black t-shirt and a pair of dark sunglasses, the morning air was chilly but it seemed as if he didn't feel it. He was smoking a cigarette, she could see the smoke curling around him partially obscuring him from sight. How could someone that perfect looking be so unbelievably tainted? She sighed. Today was a Hogsmeade visit, she wasn't' sure if she was going to go, no doubt Harry and Ron wouldn't let her go on her own, maybe it was a good thing, maybe they could work it out. With this illuminating thought in her head she tore herself away from the tantalizing view of Draco leant up against a tree, and went to get ready, it was early but it would give her time to prepare herself.

An hour later she made her way down to breakfast, dressed in jeans, a band tee and her jacket, she spied Harry, Ron and Ginny, avoiding looking at the Slytherin table, she sat herself next to Ron. They looked somewhat surprised that she had sat with them,

"Hey. Look I was wondering if you wanted to come to Hogsmeade with me? I wouldn't feel safe on my own." Ron put his arm around her,

"Of course you can Hermione. Don't worry we won't smother you. We had a chat with Ginny and she put us in our place." Harry put his hand on top of hers,

"I've been selfish, thinking that I was the only one affected by last year. I realize now that its had an effect on us all. We will try to take a step back, let you breathe. It doesn't mean that I won't worry about you, or that Ron won't want to protect you to within an inch of his life, but we will let you take care of yourself." She couldn't quite believe that they had grown-up by about ten years in the space of ten hours but they had. She hugged Ron and squeezed Harry's hand,

"Thank-you guys, that really means a lot. I appreciate you finally letting me look after me. Its been shit without you guys around. And thank-you Ginny, for making these idiots see sense! Let's get going we'll be late." She looped her arm around Ron's and kissed him on the lips, as she withdrew her eyes locked with Draco's, anger and jealousy flashed behind them. She felt a pang in her heart, and quickly uncoupled from Ron, following behind him out of the Great Hall and on to the village.

He watched her follow the Weasel out of the Great Hall, he had seen the sorrow in her eyes as she had kissed him, the disappointment. Blaise was scowling into his breakfast, he had hated seeing that blood traitor touch his girl. Not that she was, yet. However angry and jealous Draco was, his faith in her had not crumbled. She had tasted the smallest tang of what they could give her and no matter what happened with those cretins she would eventually chose him, and Blaise. Sudden a stabbing pain shot through his arm, he looked at his best friend, Blaise was clutching his forearm. They had to get out of there before one of the teacher's twigged what was going on. He motioned for Blaise to follow him outside, lifting up his sleeve, the ugly mark burned in his skin was writhing, turning darker and darker with each second.

"Shit!" He exclaimed, they got to the front gates of the castle and passed through, the wards now lifted, they apparated out to Voldemort's hiding place.

**Chapter Seven**

The Riddle house was a scar on the landscape, dilapidated, shabby, the area around it was permanently dark, the sky filled with thick mist. Evil grew here and thrived. The fact that the Ministry hadn't figured that Voldemort a.k.a. Tom Riddle had taken up residence in his Father's old house was ridiculous, though Draco suspected that it was due to the large percentage of high ranking Ministry officials loyal to the Dark Lord. He and Blaise had apparated into the first floor meeting room, as son's of the incarcerated their positions within the Dark Lord's ranks were high. However the two men were in for a surprise, standing at the head of the meeting room table was Lucius Malfoy. Draco's jaw dropped and he started to shake,

"Draco, my boy! Surprised? My release was secured by the Dark Lord last night. Blaise your Father is receiving treatment upstairs, your Mother is with him. Please feel free to go." Blaise shot Draco a warning look, then left the room. "Now son, where were we? Aah yes, my release. Those fools at the Ministry still believed Azkaban to be impenetrable but our Lord found a way, now his most loyal servants are once again free. They are preparing themselves for a celebratory attack. Congratulations on last year, I hear you did well. Although you failed in the final part of your task, however the outcome was still exemplary. I am pleased that you have joined the Death Eaters, it shows courage and strength." Draco stood stunned, the bastard was praising him,

"What's this Lucius? Suddenly you're the perfect Father? Well congratulations Dad! I'm following in your footsteps. Where are they attacking?" Lucius didn't say anything, Draco re-iterated his point, "Where are they attacking?" Lucius looked taken aback, he had never seen this side to his son, for once in his life the table had turned,

"Hogsmeade, it happens in ten minutes. You should get back to avoid being accused." Lucius did not look at Draco as he left the room, Blaise was waiting in the hall. Draco rushed past him,

"We need to go. NOW!" Blaise hurried after him, anxious as to what was going on. They apparated back to the outskirts of Hogsmeade. Students were milling around all over the place, it was like a chicken farm and all the chickens were about to be fried. Blaise grabbed Draco's arm,

"What the fuck is going on! What did Lucius say?" The blonde wrenched his arm away, and said in a low, dangerous voice,

"We need to get her out of here, now."

"Why?"

"Death Eaters are going to be here in less then ten minutes, and it is going to be a fucking slaughter. She is out there with only those two cretins to protect her. She is going to die unless we get her out of here." Blaise's mind processed the information, his blood turning to ice in his veins. Hermione. They couldn't lose her. His brain worked over time, formulating a plan, then it hit him. He pulled Draco back,

"I've got an idea. We create the attack before it happens." Draco looked pissed,

"How the fucking hell do we do that in six minutes? I'm going to find her." Blaise yanked him back again,

"Wait! The Ministry has a sensor, it senses the Dark Mark as soon as its cast in the sky, we cast it now, Aurors are on this place like that. Its the only way." Draco nodded, not caring how Blaise knew that particular piece of information, he drew his wand and pointed it skyward,

_"Morsmordre!" _A huge black cloud erupted from the end of his wand, forming into the Mark of Voldemort in the clear skies above them, staining the day. From their vantage point they could see the entire main square, in an instance everyone was panicking, students were running screaming, others were drawing their wands, figures began to appear. Draco recognized their ex-professors, Remus Lupin and Alastor Moody, then there was some pink haired woman he vaguely knew, his cousin, Nymphadora Tonks, and there were others. A minute passed, the Aurors looked confused. He scanned the square for her, Death Eaters had now arrived and there were curses flying everywhere. He could see Potter and Weasley joining in the fray, he couldn't see her anywhere. The fight with the Death Eaters would seem like nothing, compared with what Draco would do if she was hurt. He whacked Blaise on the shoulder,

"Blaise! Follow the crowds up to the castle, see if you can see her. If you do get her into your room and keep her safe." He steadied himself to join the fight,

"WAIT! What are you doing? You are going to get yourself killed! Then what good are you to her?"

"I'm gonna help the fucking Aurors! The Death Eaters are outnumbered, and most of them are the half-wits that have just escaped! They' re no match. I am doing this so there are less of them to harm her when the Final Battle hits" He pulled his cloak hood up over his head, it would hide his tell-tale hair colour at least. Running forward he hexed any masked person he could see, being a Seeker on the Quidditch team had its advantage in this situation, he was fast, disappearing in the opposite direction before anyone had a chance to hit him; plus his Father had taught him well, he was more advanced then most adult wizards put together. Throwing a curse over his shoulder, he stopped abruptly. His breath caught in his throat, directly in front of him was Hermione, hair swirling around her head as she threw curse after curse, she looked like a Goddess. His moments pause however, allowed a Death Eater to sneak up behind him and grab him around the neck, his hood fell down revealing his identity, "Shit!" he thought. Then he began to see stars...

She had been having lunch with Harry and Ron when the first scream penetrated the air, they had bolted outside expecting carnage, but all they could see were panicked students and baffled Aurors. Harry spied Remus Lupin amongst them, then it all happened at once, Death Eaters appearing out of thin air. Harry and Ron had rushed forward to meet them, leaving her on her own. She suddenly felt vulnerable, then extremely stupid, after all this is what she had asked for, the chance to protect herself; drawing her wand she ran to join the fray. Minutes passed, it seemed like hours, the Death Eaters were vastly outnumbered but somehow she had been cornered by five of them, she panicked, there wasn't anyone in the vicinity to help her. The wind caught her hair blowing about her face, suddenly she felt an unbelievable surge of magical energy through her, she found the strength to throw a couple of choice curses directly at the centre of the group. Miraculously it worked and they scattered. She allowed herself a small amount of congratulations before she got the feeling something wasn't right. A feeling, directly behind her. Hermione turned and what she saw made her heart jump out of her chest, a Death Eater with his arm wrapped round Draco's throat. The hatred for these wretched people swelled within her, the magical energy she felt before was now coursing through her veins, she had just raised her wand when...WHAM!...Draco had sunk his elbow into the man's crotch, he doubled over giving Draco the chance to punch him in the face, knocking him out cold. She ran to the blond boy, who was doubled over coughing, she hovered near him, anxious, he managed to rasp,

"Hermione, are you alright?" She nodded, the power she felt had diminished and she looked like an innocent child, eyes wide with concern, "Listen to me Cara, head back to the castle, find Blaise, he'll look after you, this isn't your fight, not yet. I am not trying to stop you from fighting, I saw the power in you just then, I know you can handle yourself; its just right now I need to know your safe."

"Draco...why are you fighting them? I thought..."

"I am not going to let them kill you. Now go." That was the only answer he gave her. She nodded and started towards the castle, at the last moment before he could leave to join the battle once again, she turned back towards him,

"DRACO! Please. Please be careful." She called, before he could blink she had run back to him and kissed him hard on the lips, breaking away almost as soon as contact had been made, he looked at her bewildered, she whispered in his ear "Come back to me." Then fled to the castle. He had to stand for a few minutes to regain his bearings, shaking his head he rejoined the battle and found that most of the Death Eaters had been rounded up, the remaining were engaged in battles with members of the Ministry, and Potter, the rest were dead. He saw Potter falter, as much as he hated the boy, he knew Hermione would never recover if something happened to him, gathering up all the strength he could muster he charged the Death Eater down and beat him to a bloody pulp. Standing up, he surveyed the battleground, it was over with minor casualties for the Light Side. Satisfied he managed to slip away unnoticed, he had a few minor cuts and bruises including a purple ring around his neck but was otherwise uninjured. He took the back way into the castle he had discovered it in his second year, it led behind the Forbidden Forest and down past the Lake. He made his way unnoticed through the halls, as he turned a corner he saw something that caused his heart to skip several beats, Blaise stood in front of him, blood on his robes and a grave look on his face. Draco grabbed him by the shoulders and hauled him against the wall.

"WHAT HAPPENED! WHERE IS SHE?" Blaise shoved him off,

"I did what you said I followed the crowds. I found...found..Weaselette, she was crouched over Hermione, Hermione had been hit, her arm was cut and she was unconscious. There was a Death Eater, I don't know who, he was about to kill Ginny. I hexed him, then threw him in the lake. I took Hermione straight to the hospital wing, she's up there still. She's ok, just a bit shaken." Draco breathed a sigh of relief, his anger and worry subsided, then he fell to the ground, black out.

**The world around her burned. The smoke stung her eyes making her weep, but the blackness did not stain her, she remained pure. The ground was strewn with the dead. Blood flowed. She retched. Entirely alone she fell to her knees, to wracked with grief to hold herself up. It was in that moment of utmost despair that she saw him. Though dirt and blood ran through his blonde hair and his grey eyes looked empty and lost, it was still him. Her only hope was that there was enough left of his soul to salvage. He reached for her and she threw herself into his arms. **

**"What have we done Draco?" She wept into his chest, the weight of her betrayal bearing down on her, **

**"You haven't done anything my love. I did what I had to, to keep from losing you all together. Everything happens for a reason. You have to go now, they're here for you." He smiled down upon her, "Go, be happy and safe." **

**"Wait, will I ever see you again? Don't go, I can't...please." She couldn't watch him walk away from her forever, she didn't want her last memory of him here, in this Godforsaken place. The fires raged behind them, edging ever closer, she turned to watch. He stood next to her, **

**"You have to know what to see," he forced her to look behind, there stood Harry, Ron and Ginny, along with the rest of the Order, her parents, Sirius, James and Lily, Dumbledore. "You won't see me, but I'll see you. I'll be there when the Weasel finally drags you down the aisle, I'll be there when you sleep, when you work. I'll watch you grow old and die, even-though it will kill me." She sensed another person stand on her other side, Blaise, face streaked with soot, one long cut down one side, he looked beautiful but defeated.**

**"I'll be there to. You have to go on living Cara. Are you ready?" She breathed in, closed her eyes. "Are you ready Cara?" Blaise.**

**"I'll always be there. I'll always love you." Draco. She opened her eyes, the smoke had cleared and she was in a church, making her way down the aisle, dressed in white. Innocence. She stopped,**

**"NO! Take me back! PLEASE!" She looked around frantically, a shock of blonde hair caught her eye, he smirked and raised an eyebrow,**

**"Are you really ready?"**

"Is she going to be okay? I need to know? Can I see her?" Red hair came into focus, she felt groggy. The world was fuzzing round the edges. What had happened? Her arm felt like ice, her head throbbed. "HERMIONE! You're awake!"

"Really, boys! Do not overcrowd her, she has a severe concussion. It would be best if you came back later." The Hogwarts Matron tried to usher Harry and Ron out, but she said weakly,

"Its alright, Madame Pomfrey, I don't want them to leave," Hermione sat up slowly in the bed, around her she could see that the rest of the Hospital Wing, Aurors and some students were being treated for cuts and bruises, luckily no-one was seriously hurt. "Is everyone okay? What happened?" She was now more alert, Mme. Pomfrey had provided her with a potion that had cleared her head and dulled the pain, Harry looked at her, his eyes distant, it was Ron who answered,

"Everyone is okay, Tonks was out for ten minutes but she'll be alright. In short, it was an attack. Death Eaters were broken out of Azkaban last night, Lucius Malfoy included. We've figured that it was a celebratory attack, but it was unplanned and sloppy. They were outnumbered, all of them bar one were rounded up. The one that got away though, seemed to be attacking them, not us. He saved Harry's life. But he disappeared before we could catch him." She took all this in, at least no-one was killed. Her thoughts turned to Draco, he had fought against his brethren, he had saved her, he had saved Harry. She had kissed him. A huge pang of guilt hit her like a wave and tears fell. Ron looked alarmed, he gathered her in his arms, "Mione, what is it? Silly girl, everyone is alright. There's nothing to fear anymore, we're here to protect you. I love you, you know that yeah?" She smiled weakly, she knew Ron loved her, but she didn't feel that way about him, but she was a coward, she would never tell him that she was harboring feelings for their enemies.

"I love you too, Ron. Harry? Harry, are you ok?" The boy who lived hadn't spoken, he looked more lost then ever, "Harry, I don't know what your feeling, but there was nothing you could do about what happened today. I don't know if this helps, but I had a dream. I saw Dumbledore, your parents, Sirius. Then I saw us, all of us, we were standing strong and alive. It means that you have to keep fighting, stay strong, Voldemort thrives on spreading misery and weakness. Fight for them Harry, otherwise they died for nothing." Slowly her friend nodded,

"Thank-you." She smiled, okay, that wasn't exactly the whole of the dream but the rest of it they wouldn't exactly respond very well to; she had also left out the fact that she had wanted to leave them for the two worst people in the world. She needed to see them, Blaise and Draco, she just hoped beyond hope that Draco was okay. Madame Pomfrey came over to kick Harry and Ron out of the wing, the sky had darkened and it was getting on for evening, they left and once they were out of earshot she begged Mme. Pomfrey to let her leave,

"Please Mme., I would feel much better in my own room, please? I will go straight to bed, and rest." Mme. Pomfrey grumbled, but eventually let up and allowed her to leave. She hurriedly dressed and made her way back to her dorm room, desperate to find them. Arriving at her Common Room, she entered and heard something that made her hot under the collar,

"...she's everything we thought she was, and more. She kissed me man, it was like tasting heaven. It took all my self control not to have her right there."

Blaise half dragged, half carried Draco back to the Heads Common Room, he put him on the sofa, and went to get a cold cloth, and some bandages. It appeared that Draco had been hit in the head during the fight. Blaise cleaned the blood from his friends face and dabbed at the cut in his head. Once he was satisfied, he left his friend and went to clean up. It made him feel sick, watching Hermione's blood wash off him, it made him angry, it mixed with Draco's blood and he sighed. Stepping out of the shower, he dried off and threw on a pair of jeans. Hearing a knock at the door, he went to answer it. It was little Weaselette. He smiled pleasantly,

"What can I do for you Red?" He asked politely. She blushed, clearly the sight of a shirtless Italian had a momentous effect on her, what would Potter say to that? The thought made him smirk, she giggled and said,

"I just came to say thank you, you saved my life. Also for taking care of Hermione. She's awake by the way. She's okay. Just a bit sore, but she knows what you did. Anyway, Harry's waiting, thanks again." She left. He breathed a sigh of relief. He heard a spluttering cough behind him, Draco had begun to come to,

"What? Ah fuck my head!" He clutched his head, then looked to Blaise, "Have you heard? Is she alright?"

"I just saw the little Weasley. Hermione's okay, she's awake and alive and mostly unhurt. What the hell happened to you, you look fucking awful," he gestured to the purple bruise marring the skin around Draco's neck.

"Thanks man," he drawled sarcastically, "I fought them, they fought back. One caught me around the neck, I beat him to the ground before he could reach her. I saw her Blaise, she's everything we thought she was, and more. She kissed me man, it was like tasting heaven. It took all my self control not to have her right there." A noise behind them, made them turn, stood watching them, was their Goddess herself. Draco jumped up from the sofa, automatically wishing he hadn't, the pain in his head made him almost puke. Hermione looked at them, really looked, Draco looked a little worse for wear, the result of the battle, Blaise was shirtless and every inch the Italian adonis, he noticed her looking and smiled, Draco felt the pain in his head subside at the sight of her. She looked worried, but the power was now shining off of her in waves, making her glow, her eyes were brighter and her lips fuller. She was relieved that he was alright, he had after all risked his life for her. Seeing them together stirred within her feelings that she had never had before, it felt new and different, she was ready, stepping closer she looked from Draco to Blaise and back to Draco,

"I mean it," she said sincerely, want gleaming in her eyes, "I need you, both of you. Show me your world, take care of me, forever? Please..." That was enough for Draco, he pulled her to him and covered her lips with his own, she kissed him back with equal amounts of force. His hands had moved down to grab her bum, she had tangled hers in his hair. He pulled away, gasping for air, she was panting,

"Love, I don't want to be a spoilsport or anything but right now I couldn't do two rounds with a fruit fly, and you can barely stand," it was true she was hanging on to him for dear life, she nodded. In a way she was relieved, she didn't know how ready she was for this to go further. Yet.

"Hem, Hem." Blaise had had to remind them that he was still standing there, not that he minded, just watching them had been interesting enough. He knew that this would have happened as soon as he had planned this, Draco and Hermione were fated to each other, the arguing and sniping masking their true feelings, even to them. As long as they didn't always forget about him; Hermione let go of Draco and walked to the other Slytherin, peering into his dark eyes, she saw pride and happiness, standing on tiptoes she kissed him, he held her waist and gave in,

"Mind if I use your shower mate?" Draco, asked, not particularly fazed, he knew that whatever happened Blaise would never presume to think that Hermione would ever be his alone. Throughout this whole situation, the blond had always known that in the end Hermione would come to them, she was too passionate not to. Potter and Weasley were to stupid to realize what they had, he smirked, what would they say if they saw her now, shining with lust for the Slytherin Princes? That thought in mind he went into the bathroom and took a somewhat cool shower.

Meanwhile, Blaise had released Hermione's' lips and they were curled up together on the sofa, he was stroking her hair,

"Why today Cara? Was it because of the battle?" She stared into the fire, something had definitely changed in her today, he saw Draco appear at the door of the bathroom, wearing his trousers, the jerk, he joined them on the sofa, dropping a kiss on Hermione's lips, he sat by and listened,

"The other night when I came into your room, I was upset and angry. I came to you for all the wrong reasons. In a way I guess I had wanted to punish Harry and Ron for not treating me how I wanted. I realized today that they never would. Not that I was entirely convinced then that you two could treat me any better, history being what it was. But then, today when I was fighting I thought of you, Draco, and the strength it must have taken to stand up to Voldemort," absentmindedly she stroked the Dark Mark that marred his perfect skin, "and you Blaise, how you always seem so together and strong. I want to know what its like, I want to feel like I'm worth something. Then I felt this spark run through me, it was wonderful, I felt like I could destroy anything. But then I was cornered, I was so scared, but then I felt it again but more powerful, it was like a drug. Then I saw Draco and he was being strangled, it angered me, but I calmed once I knew that he could handle himself. Then he told me to find you, and I felt so scared leaving him, but I kissed him and that was the moment I started believing. The rest, you know, you saved my life, both of you. Thank-you." She hugged them both, Draco shone with pride and arrogance, his Princess was finally realizing that this was where she belonged, at his side. Blaise yawned, it was getting on for midnight.

"As much as I'd like to stay up all night just like this, I am exhausted, and you my dear look knackered. I don't want you to be getting sick, you've had a tough day," she nodded, and moved so he could get up, "Goodnight Cara, Draco." She kissed him full on the lips,

"Goodnight Blaise, see you in the morning." He made his way up the stairs, he had a feeling he'd be seeing them both first thing and that Draco wouldn't be leaving the Heads rooms tonight. He was right, Draco got up and put his ruined shirt on, about to make his way back to Slytherin house, but she stopped him,

"Will you stay with me tonight? Just to sleep, I don't want to be alone." He swept her in his arms, proceeding to carry her up the stairs,

"Draco, we left all the lights on and the fire going!" She squeaked, the Head Girl within working overtime,

"Never fear, love," placing her down, he swept an arm at the lights and the fire, they all went out immediately. She gasped, he gave her the arrogant smirk, "What? Oh that, magic is magic, you don't need a piece of wood as a conduit. It helps but its not necessary. Magic is in your blood, you either have it or you don't. Otherwise you could just hand wands to anyone. It would be carnage." The smugness in his voice at knowing something she didn't was obvious, she swatted him on the arm, he lifted her up and carried her up the stairs, plonking her on the double bed when he got to her room. She gave him a reproving look and grabbed her nightdress and headed into the bathroom. He stripped to his boxers and dived under the covers, he inhaled her scent off her pillows, succumbing to sleep almost immediately. In the bathroom, Hermione tried to make herself look somewhat presentable, wishing that she slept in something a bit more substantial then a t-shirt. It would have to do, she came out of the bathroom, Draco was already sprawled out on one side on the bed, he looked irresistible. She climbed in next him, pushing his blonde hair aside, she leant down and kissed him on the forehead, he stirred, but didn't wake, she smiled fondly,

"Goodnight Draco," she shut the lights off with her wand and laid her head down to sleep.

**Chapter Eight**

Breakfast in the Great Hall that morning was a subdued affair, many more students had been taken out the school by their parents, the news of the attack having graced the front page of the Daily Prophet. Hermione was sat with Harry, Ron, Ginny and Neville, she had the paper propped open in front of her. The stories main focus was the mysterious hooded figure who saved the life of Harry Potter, she thought it would be a shock to the entire wizarding world should they find out it was none other then Draco Malfoy who saved the life of their hero, plus Voldemort would kill him, so it was best that no-one knew, well besides her and Blaise. She snuck a glance over at the Slytherin table, Blaise was sipping coffee, surveying those around him with judgmental eyes, Draco too had the newspaper open, and was smirking at the story. She thought back to that morning, waking up next to Draco was something she would be glad to make a habit of. She had slipped out to breakfast before he had woken so she hadn't had a chance to speak to him, Blaise had been up when she left. Being a Slytherin as he was, he had figured that Draco had stayed the night, she had reassured him that it was just sleeping; he had accepted it quietly and kissed her, which had left her gasping for air. Ron tugged on her arm, drawing her gaze back

to her boyfriend, the post had come, a letter had been dropped in front of her, her name written in neat black italics. She looked up immediately, grey eyes met hers, she smiled, it would be best to open this away from prying eyes.

"Ron, honey, I'm just going to go back to my common room for something, I'll see you in class. Bye, guys!" She hurried out of the Hall before he had a chance to protest. She ran all the way to her common room, when she got there she pulled the letter from her bag and tore it open, out of breathe she sat on the sofa and began to read,

_Hermione, _

_Good morning love, I hope you are well. Meet Blaise and I for lunch in the Heads Common Room, there's some things we need to discuss. You look beautiful this morning. See you in class, I'll be thinking of you. _

_Yours_

_D.M._

Even though it wasn't exactly what she was hoping for her heart still fluttered, finally everything was falling into place, her life was fulfilled, strangely the fact that she was betraying her friends did not seem to bother her anymore. Stuffing the letter into her bag, she hurried to class. She was slightly late, so had to slip in the back of the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom, the only seat left was next to Draco who grinned wickedly at her. Moody's magical eye swung in her direction,

"Your late Miss Granger!"

"I know, I'm sorry Sir. I had some Head's duties that couldn't wait." He frowned but then motioned for her to sit down,

"Well, you are excused then. Now sit down." She took her seat next to Draco. Ron smiled in her direction and glared at Draco, Hermione made a 'it can't be helped' face and settled down to work. Unfortunately this was made harder by three things, firstly the fact that his presence next to her was driving her crazy, how one person could smell that good was beyond her, secondly his foot had managed to wrap around hers and was currently stroking the back of her leg. Finally, Blaise was sat in front of her, he kept stretching out to scratch the back of his neck, which pulled his shirt tight across his back, showing off taut muscles, she had a sneaking suspicion that he knew this and was just teasing her.

"Damn Slytherins!" She said under her breath, not quietly enough though, for soon after she felt breath on the side of her neck, then a voice whispered huskily,

"Are you okay Granger? You seem a little, out of control." Oh she was going to kill him later, turning to him she smiled sweetly and said,

"Just you wait, Malfoy. I'll show you how out of control I can be." She winked and went back to her work. Draco smirked, she had spark, he was loving it, pleased with himself he went back to the task at hand, making her squirm in her seat.

Draco and Blaise continued to tease her all morning, even in Potions, where she sat with Harry and Ron. They kept sneaking suggestive glances her way, and every-time she moved near, one of them would get up and follow her, leaning up over her as she collected ingredients from the stores. By the time she arrived at the common room that lunch, she was fuming with them; entering the room she was fully prepared to yell at them for their behaviour. Lo and behold, the two sexy troublemakers were reclining on the sofa drinking what looked like a bottle of firewhiskey, this made Hermione more angry, they were taking advantage of her, drinking during the day, distracting her in class.

"I CANNOT BELIEVE YOU TWO! A FIRST IT WAS A LAUGH, DISTRACTING ME IN CLASS, IT WAS FUN. BUT YOU BOTH HAD TO JUST GO THAT EXTRA MILE! AND NOW DRINKING DURING THE DAY RIGHT UNDER MY NOSE! IT JUST TAKES THE PISS! Maybe I've made the wrong choice, you two are just pathetic school boys, who need to grow up!" This outburst hadn't affected them at all, in fact they were expecting it, the firewhiskey was a ruse to make her lose it. Draco got a kick out of seeing the usually controlled Gryffindor Princess lose it, it allowed him to see the real power behind his girl. He got up from the sofa and walked to her,

"Come on Hermione, let it out, your angry, let it rip love." She could not believe his arrogance, so she hit him, "Thats its baby, come on! Your angry with me, but your not giving it any! Hit me, come on! HIT ME!" She smacked him once, twice round the face, her brown eyes turning dark. The lights inside the common room began to flicker and the sky outside darkened, her anger was manifesting itself. He knew that she was angry at herself rather then them. Blaise lifted himself from the couch, Hermione was out of control, if she didn't stop soon, she would cause Draco some serious damage; she was about to strike again when Blaise caught her wrist,

"That's enough," he said calmly, the Italian had the power to silence a room if he could, he knew what Draco was doing, trying to get her to break down, "You're not angry at us Cara. You're angry at yourself, for allowing yourself to dream. Dream about a life other then the one that Harry and Ron have dictated for you. Let me tell you this love, if you think for one second that Draco and I entered into this lightly, you're wrong. Do you think this is any easier for us then it is for you? The mere fact that we're talking to you like this can get us killed. As for Draco's actions yesterday, they wouldn't be satisfied just allowing him to die, death is the easy option. Voldemort would tear him apart for his betrayal. As for you my sweet, if they found out what you were, what you meant to us, they would destroy you over and over until there was nothing left. So excuse us if we want to try and have fun, before it all comes tumbling down in fire and blood." The lights settled and the sky cleared, her eyes turned back to their normal chocolate colour. Hermione was silent, tears ran down her face. He was right, she was angry at herself, she had betrayed everything she believed in for them and there was no way she could take it back. Draco gathered her in his arms and kissed her deep, she slid her hands up and tangled them in his hair. Blaise had come up behind her and was kissing her neck. She had never felt so much for two people, the fact that they were these two particular people was equally as daunting, and right now they were driving her crazy. Draco had moved his hands from her sides to her bum, Blaise's fingers were working at the buttons on her blouse. Draco halted his assault on her backside to peel off his own shirt, allowing Blaise to pull hers off in the process. Draco got back to his task of kissing the life out of her, his skilled fingers expertly unhooking her bra, he pulled her against him until there was no space between them.

"You're so beautiful, love. I want you so bad right now," his voice in her ear sent shivers of longing down her spine, exciting her more then she thought possible. Blaise spun her away from Draco into his waiting arms, he was stripped to the waist, his trousers riding dangerously low on his hips, this barely had time to register with her before Blaise's lips crashed into her own, the anger still not dissipated, evident in the ferocity with which he kissed her. She was aware of Draco behind her, "Relax, baby," he whispered, his hand dropped to her thigh, then snaked under her skirt. She took a sharp intake of breath, as one finger after the other entered her. She closed her eyes, allowing the sensations to overcome her, Blaise had re-directed his attention to her breast. The double sensation of that and Draco's fingers threatened to drive her over the edge, she almost didn't register the two distinct bulges in front and behind her. However this thought was obliterated by the force of her orgasm, it spread from her centre right down to the tips of her toes, her knees buckled with the force of it. Draco withdrew his hand, and looped an arm round her waist to stop her from falling, using the other to tip her head back, kissing her deeply. Blaise looked at her, it amazed him that she could look more beautiful, but she did.

"We should get back to class, its late, people are going to get suspicious," they didn't seem to hear him, "I'll be back in a minute," still no answer, "Its fine, see you in a minute, I'll just go, take a cold shower, then go to class." He shook his head, chuckling to himself, then went into the bathroom to 'hem hem' relieve himself.

Draco was drowning in her, he had turned her to him, relishing the feel of her skin against his. She was still shaking from before, he stroked her back lightly, kissing her softly. He was painfully aroused, but he didn't want to force her into doing anything, so was surprised when he felt a pair of hands unzip his trousers and slip into his boxer shorts. She grinned at him mischievously, she was stroking him slowly, driving him up the wall,

"Where'd you learn that?" He asked half serious, half joking, she increased her speed,

"I'm not as innocent as you think, lover." Withdrawing her hand, she leant down and picked up her clothes, sashaying away from him into her bedroom. He stood there open mouthed, his flies still open, hoping to God that Blaise hurried the fuck up in the shower before class, also cursing everything that he had Quidditch practice until late that night.

That afternoon passed in a blur for her, she barely spoke to Harry or Ron, and only said a scant few words to Ginny, when dinnertime ended she was desperate to see them again, but she knew that Draco had Quidditch practice and Blaise had to escort him. After dinner she went to the library with Harry, Ron and Ginny to study. Harry and Ginny gave up after an hour and left for the Gryffindor common room, she was left with Ron.

"Mione?" She looked up from her work,

"Mmm, yes Ron?"

"Will you let me stay with you tonight? I-I just want to fall asleep with you. Since the battle the other day, I have just been worried that I don't look after you properly and I want to look after you all the time. Would you mind? We can sleep, I am not trying to get anything from you." She fought the urge to laugh, Ron was being so sincere but she could not, would not have him in her bed tonight, seeing as she was planning on not being in it herself. Composing herself, she looked him in the eyes and said in a caring voice,

"Not tonight Ron, I'm sorry. I just didn't really sleep very well last night, and I'm really tired. Its nothing against your offer, its a lovely thought, just not tonight yeah?" She kissed him for good measure, he nodded and hugged her to him.

"Okay Mione babe," eurgh that name made her cringe, "I have to go back to Gryffindor, curfew and all that, see you tomorrow." He pecked her on the cheek and left. The sky outside had turned an inky black, it had gotten late, she had lost track of time, gathering her stuff she ran out of the library towards her common room. She practically shouted the password at the portrait, eager to see if they were in there; in her haste she stumbled over the transom, but instead of falling to the floor, she stumbled into the strong arms of a half-naked, slightly sweaty blonde. She dropped all her books on the floor and kissed him eagerly, he attacked her lips with equal amounts of passion. She inhaled his scent, it was sweet, but seductive, he chuckled lightly, pulling away he whispered to her,

"Did you miss me lover?" His breath tickled her neck, tremors were wracking her body, such was his effect on her,

"Like hell baby, can't you tell?" She moved his hand down her thigh, then kissed him, his tongue explored every inch of her mouth, panting she moved away, "Where's Blaise?" She asked.

"He's upstairs. He told me to meet you down here. I gladly accepted seeing as I get to touch you first," his hand inched up her skirt. She began to undo her shirt, pulling it off; he eyed her hungrily, lifting his hand to the clasp of her bra, she stopped him,

"Uh uh, not yet," she stepped away from him, removed her shoes and socks, then slid her skirt down her legs. Soon she stood in front of him in her underwear, she ran her glance over his form, noticing the growing bulge in his trousers, "Hmmm, suddenly I feel like the odd one out," she moved towards him and undid the zip of his trousers, pulling them gently off his body, typically he was wearing green boxers, "Much better," she said naughtily.

"You're a tease you know that Cara." The look in her eye was pure Slytherin, she giggled then skipped off up the stairs towards Blaise's room, leaving him practically naked in the living area. With a smirk he followed her up the stairs.

Hermione pushed open the door, smiled seductively at the figure on the bed. Blaise was reclining on the black silk sheets, reading a book. He was stripped to his boxers, he did not seem to notice her enter, or if he did he took no notice of her lack of clothes.

"Blaise love? Blaise?" She teased, without looking up he said,

"Yes Cara?" She walked to the bed and knelt down at the foot of the bed, behind her the door closed, Draco was leaning against it watching her. She knelt on all fours and began crawling up Blaise's body,

"Not that I like dragging people away from a good book, but here I am, on your bed and you're ignoring me," he lifted his gaze to her, raised an eyebrow at her, she was pouting at him. Throwing his book on the floor, he grabbed her around the waist and pulled her to his lips, she devoured them hungrily, after a while she drew away, "Mmmm much better." Blaise's fingers moved to unhook her bra, she shrugged it off. He looked at her, lust gleaming in his dark eyes. She giggled, then turned to her other man, beckoning him to her with one finger. He made his way over the the bed, standing at the foot, he waited for her to come to him. She extracted herself from Blaise's grasp, stood up on the bed and walked to him. He covered her lips, then took her breast in his hand. She moaned into his mouth, increasing the strain in his shorts. Blaise knelt behind her, dragging her pants down her body. She felt his fingers, probe at her, she wrenched forward into Draco. She was in bliss, the two of them, they made her feel, anything, everything, all at once. It was like her eyes had finally opened. Leaning into him, she whispered huskily into Draco's ear,

"I want you inside me." That did it for him, he growled at Blaise to move, pulling her down to the bed, positioning himself on top of her. Shucking off his boxers he looked her in the eye,

"This may hurt,"

"I don't care," he nodded, then entered her. The pain was intense, but more intense was the power she felt at being one with him. The pain she felt desisted, soon all she felt was bliss; Blaise stood a close watch nearby, his hand moving within his shorts. The fact that he was watching them turned her on even more, Draco increased his pace, she clawed his back leaving deep scratches. Soon she was left gasping for air, a wave of pleasure hit her and she was screaming his name, he grunted, the muscles in his neck strung out with effort. He shouted her name as he reached his peak. Exhausted he collapsed beside her, she snuggled against him, he wrapped his arm around her. They both succumbed to sleep at once. Unbeknownst to them, Blaise had slipped out of the room, letting them have this moment together, they needed it.

**Chapter Nine**

The sun streamed in through the window, casting a morning glow over the sleeping figures. Blaise had been up for hours, he had showered and dressed and was sitting in the corner of his room, sipping strong black coffee, watching over the couple in his bed. Last night had been a revelation, Hermione had truly pledged herself to them body and soul, and now she belonged to them. He stayed there until his coffee had gone, with one last look he left the room. Draco bolted awake, the sound of the door shutting waking him. He feared that last night had been another of his dreams, vivid but not real. It was then that he looked down, Hermione was stretched out on the other side of the bed, the sheet barely covering her. It hadn't been a dream. He smiled, then lightly traced the line of her collarbone, all the way down to the spot in between her legs. She opened one eye sleepily, then smirked and gasped as Draco's tongue joined his fingers.

"Morning lover." She managed to say, running her hands through his hair. He didn't reply, seeing as his mouth was otherwise occupied. The double sensations of his fingers and tongue drove her over the edge, she came to an earth shattering climax, his name on her lips. He crawled up her body and thrust into to her with a grunt. He finished quickly, still tired from last night. He pulled her close to him and kissed her longingly.

"Good Morning my love. How'd you sleep?" She shook her head laughing, he looked so beautiful at this time of the morning. His perfect hair was messed up totally and his eyes were glittering with complete admiration for her. She breathed him in,

"I've never slept better, and waking up next to you, with you is the best feeling in the world." He kissed her again.

"Well then, we'll have to arrange that every morning," he grinned wickedly, " Though I have a feeling that Blaise may want his bed back at some point. Speaking of, I wonder where he is." Hermione pushed Draco off her and got up, pulling the sheet off the bed to wrap herself in, leaving Draco in all his glory pouting in protest.

"Sorry lover," she said chuckling, then her face turned serious, "I feel kind of bad. We left Blaise out last night, then hogged his bed. Maybe he's mad?" Draco shook his head,

"No. He left us together because it was the first time. We didn't want to scare you. He's probably waiting in the common room, and if I am not mistaken he is making very strong coffee, which I could do with." Dragging his tired limbs of the bed, he bent to pick up his boxers and pulled them on. Then motioning to her, they went down the stairs hand in hand.

Harry, Ron and Ginny were worried. Hermione had missed her first two classes, as had Zabini and Malfoy. Ron was livid, calling the Sytherin Princes every name under the sun and threatening to rip them limb from limb. Harry was less angry but still concerned, he swore to himself if anything had happened to her he would not live until Malfoy was strung up by his neck and Zabini was nothing more then bloody pulp, okay maybe he was as angry as Ron. Ginny on the other hand was not worried, Hermione probably had a perfectly good reason for being late that had nothing to do with Draco or Blaise,

"You know guys, maybe she's sick?" Ginny said, if only to break the silence. They were standing outside the entrance to the Heads Dorms, wondering what to do.

"Hermione doesn't get sick. She's never been sick. I knew this would happen, she's been kidnapped. Fucking Death Eater scum, I am going to fucking castrate them," Ron growled, then hammered on the door. The portrait swung open, Blaise Zabini stood in front of them, a passive look on his face, a cup of coffee in one hand. He smiled falsely, then winked at Ginny,

"Gentlemen, and lovely lady. What can I do for you?" Harry shoved Blaise into the wall, the coffee went flying,

"Cut the crap Zabini, where is she?" Harry roared. Blaise being much stronger grabbed Harry's arm and twisted it behind his back,

"If I pull your arm anymore, it will snap. Don't ever try anything like that again. She's sick, so she's sleeping. Okay?" Harry gritted his teeth and nodded, Blaise let go of his arm. Ginny looked at Blaise, smiled,

"Thank you Blaise. Harry is sorry he overreacted. Will you tell Hermione that we stopped by to see her and hope she is feeling better." Blaise nodded,

"Yes Ginny I will," he turned to Harry, "You see if you talk to me reasonably, I really am a nice guy. Goodbye Ginny," he inclined his head to her, then turned to Harry and Ron and said in the same tone, "And you two can fuck off." He slammed the portrait door in their faces. Ginny smiled to herself, the Italian Slytherin made her insides squirm.

The 'invalid' and her lover had come downstairs to just in time to hear the portrait door slam and Blaise come in seething. Though he controlled his anger in front of the Wonder Idiots, the fact that they still had the audacity to treat her like a child who couldn't take care of herself, made him mad. Seeing the look on his face she ran towards him,

"Blaise, what is it baby? Who was at the door?" He shot Draco a warning look, who raised his eyebrows, then frowned. He went up to Hermione and took her by the hand,

"Angel, why don't you go for a shower and get ready, Blaise and I have something to discuss." She look disapprovingly at him,

"What's going on? Why are you shutting me out? After last night we shouldn't have any secrets from each other. I can't believe you two. I trust you both, can't you give me that liberty?" Blaise enveloped her in a hug, then kissed her deep,

"Of course we trust you Cara. This is just something that we can't discuss with you yet. Cross my heart and hope to die we will talk to you about it later, yeah?" He kissed her again, she frowned at him, then made her way to the bathroom, kissing Draco on the way past. When she had gone, Draco faced him,

"Ok spill, what did they want?" Being as perceptive as he was, Draco had figured that the Wonder Idiots had been the ones knocking the door down this morning.

"They wanted to know where she was." Draco was angry, his eyes had darkened and his mouth was set, he turned from Blaise and swore heavily under his breath,

"Fucking wankers. What did you tell them?" He asked eerily calm,

"That she was sick, but if they keep this up then they'll find out about you and her and me." The blonde found his trousers and pulled a cigarette out of the pocket, lit it up and took a long drag. He pulled his trousers on and said,

"She needs to know, she is the only one who can throw them off the scent. If they find out about this, it will be over before its started and we'll lose her forever. We can't afford that, we need her." Blaise nodded in agreement, and settled himself on the sofa to wait for her. Draco in the meantime had thrown the remainder of his clothes on and was pouring himself a cup of black coffee, Blaise's Italian influence had given him the taste for it. He settled down at Blaise's desk, eyes fixed on the stairs. Twenty minutes later their Princess descended looking ravishing in her school uniform, if indeed one could, but then Draco found her ravishing in anything. She walked across the room to the kitchen and was busying herself making coffee when she realised that both Blaise and Draco were watching her with intensity. The faint smell of expensive cigarettes hung in the air, she hated when they smoked in the common room, putting her hands on her hips she said,

"So, are you ready to tell me what was going on earlier?" Draco smiled slyly, she wasn't going to let them get away with this,

"Yes Angel, we are. Blaise got a visit from your 'wonderful' boyfriends this morning. They had a hissy fit when you missed class, so they came accusing Blaise of 'doing' something to you. He, of course acted in a way anyone would when assaulted and put them in their place. The little Weaselette was also in attendance, and seeing as she asked Blaise nicely, he informed the Wonder Idiots that you were sick." Hermione's lips pursed into a tight line, why could they not just leave her alone,

"I cannot believe this! Why can't they just leave me be! I thought that they'd got past this over protectiveness. Did they hurt you Blaise?" Blaise shook his dark head,

"No, Potter tried but I stopped him before he could. Look, me and Draco think that its best if you talk to them. We don't think its the best idea for them to find out about this," he motioned to him and Draco and her, "yet."

"What would I say, they don't ever seem to listen to me. I don't want them to find out either," thinking back to her disturbing dreams, she knew that the risk of them finding out would be enough to drive Draco away, she couldn't let that happen, even if it meant betraying them. "I don't want to lose you, either of you." Draco smiled wryly, then walked over and took her in his arms,

"You'll never lose us Angel. You belong to us now, we won't let you go." Hermione nodded, then said,

"So what do I do? How do I make them leave me alone, or at least back off somewhat?" This time it was Blaise who answered,

"I think that your best chance is to talk it over with Ginny, Potter at least seems to listen to her. Then maybe she can convince your 'boyfriend' to back off as well."

"Your right, I'll talk to her later, hopefully by tonight they'll have backed off enough to at least let me spend time with you two without them freaking out and coming to find me every time I'm late." She looked at her watch, then shrieked, "We are soooo late for class, we should get going." She found though that the two boys were shaking their heads, Blaise laughed,

"Sorry Cara, but your supposed to be sick. No class for you today, have to keep up appearances." Hermione opened her mouth to protest but was silenced by Draco's lips on hers,

"Okay, okay, no class. I'll see you two later then." She managed to say. Draco stopped kissing her and gasped in mock shock, "Don't make that face at me Draco Malfoy, just because I'm not going to class, does not mean that you can skive to. Both of you get gone, but make sure that you bring me back the work that I've missed." Ever the bookworm, they both chuckled and made their way out the door, pecking her on the cheek as they left. She smiled affectionately, at least they treated her like someone who can look after herself. She settled on the sofa, her book open in her lap, wondering what the hell would happen if Ron and Harry found out about her new affiliation with two Slytherin sex gods.

Ginny Weasley sat in her sixth year Transfiguration lesson not listening to a word McGonagall was saying. All she could think about was Blaise Zabini, standing in front of her shirtless. She knew it was betraying Harry even thinking of him but she couldn't help herself. The rest of the lesson passed, and Ginny didn't learn a thing, she made her way to the Great Hall to meet Harry for lunch. Entering the hall she scanned the Gryffindor table for Harry, he wasn't there yet, neither was her brother. This compelled her to peer towards the Slytherin table, sure enough there was Blaise and Draco, surveying their empire, Blaise shot her a look and gave her a slight nod of his head. She almost died on her feet. Luckily Harry embraced her from behind, preventing her from falling over.

"Hey sweetness, how was your morning?" Ginny rounded on him, and kissed him full on the lips, her eyes fluttering towards the other side of the room,

"Erm, er, fine thanks Harry, yours?"

"Ok I guess, had to actually pay attention in History of Magic because Hermione wasn't there but otherwise. Are you set for Quidditch practice tonight?" She nodded, and motioned for them to sit down, however, before they could do so, someone tapped her on the shoulder, the smell of cologne and cigarettes hit her nostrils, she turned her head, Blaise stood before her, Draco hovering in the background,

"Sorry to disturb your lunch Red, but I was wondering whether I could have a word?" He shot Harry a warning look, Harry returned it with a look of pure loathing. Ginny swallowed hard, she had been thinking about him for the whole morning and now he wanted to talk to her, he was more beautiful then ever, she squeaked out,

"Yeah sure Blaise, what now?" He smiled smugly, looked like Hermione wasn't the only one with an affinity for Slytherins, he nodded and led her out of the Great Hall by the arm, leaving Harry gaping in the background. Draco sneered one last time at Harry and spun on his heel following Blaise and Ginny out of the Hall, all the way to the Heads Dorms. On entering they found Hermione reclining on the sofa, reading a book. She jumped up out of the seat, surprised to see Ginny being led by the hand by Blaise,

"Ginny! Blaise? Malfoy! What are you doing here?" Draco stalked into the room, glowering at the situation, putting on the Big Bad act, Ginny shrugged her shoulders,

"Blaise said he wanted a word, but he hasn't said a thing, what's going on?" Hermione glared daggers at Blaise, also putting on a false act that she was mad at her Italian, she began to shout at him,

"BLAISE, I can't believe you are interfering like this, didn't I tell you earlier that I'll handle this myself! I talked to you in confidence after this morning and you've gone and done this! I thought we were getting somewhere, but obviously I was wrong, even Slytherins can't leave people to sort their own problems out!" He put on a frown and yelled back,

"Fine then Granger! If you don't want me interfering don't fucking tell me all your shit, because for your information I don't actually give a fuck. C'mon Draco, I've had enough of Gryffindors for the rest of my lifetime," Blaise stormed out of the portrait hole, Draco grinned at them both nastily, and said in a voice dripping with malice,

"Thats what you get for befriending Slytherins, Mudblood. Catch ya later Weaselette." He sauntered out the room, and met Blaise in the corridor, raised his eyebrows and let out a short bark of laughter, "Nice show man, what's the motive?" Blaise smirked,

"I figured it would be better if our 'relationship' with her still appeared to be hostile. If they think that I am on good terms with her, they may start to get suspicious. Especially the little Redhead, she seems to have far more intelligence then the two of them put together. But if it appears that the atmosphere is still hostile then the Wonder Idiots will think all is well." Draco agreed, however,

"There's still the problem of them turning up every time she skips a meal, or runs late for anything."

"We'll just have to be careful. Hermione will have to make sure she is where she is supposed to be. Let's just hope that Red can convince the Idiots to leave her the fuck alone for a while." Draco shrugged, the littlest Weasley did seem to exert some form of control over Potter and the Weasel, more so then Hermione,

"I'm sure she's quite persuasive when she wants to be. She's smitten with you." Draco threw it in so casually that Blaise hardly had time to register it, "It will be fine, if its not, we will just have to deal with the consequences." The door to the Heads room flew open, Draco and Blaise had to bolt for the next corridor lest they be accused of listening in. Ginny called goodbye to Hermione and left to find Harry. Hermione waited until she was a safe distance then called,

"You can come out now boys, she's gone."

Hermione waited arms crossed at the door, the two Slytherins appeared from around the corner looking guilty as sin. They followed her into the common room, then stopped in the centre,

"So, what happened?" Draco asked, she sashayed up to him, and placed her hands on his chest,

"Don't worry Lover, she's going to convince them to give me space and stop harassing me every five seconds. Even she thinks they are being unreasonable." He smiled, then kissed her, parting her lips with his tongue. She pulled away from him and stood in front of Blaise, leaning up she whispered in his ear, "She's crushing on you, you know. Thinks you're, hmmm what were the words she used? Oh yeah, gorgeously fuck-able. What do you think about that Love? Hmmm, does it get you hot under the collar?" She kissed him, dropping her hands to his zipper, pulling it down she snaked her hand into his boxers, feeling the hardness there. She quirked her eyebrow, "Seems like it does Love. Do you want her baby?" Blaise couldn't deny that the little Red head did interest him somewhat, she seemed to be more in awe of him then Hermione. Besides Hermione had Draco, why shouldn't he have someone else on the side?

"Stop teasing me Cara, you will regret it." She laughed and increased the pace at which she was stroking him. Draco, was sat at Hermione's desk watching the scene unfold. Blaise's head was thrown back in pleasure as Hermione continued to tease,

"Regret it how?" she asked coyly, looking back over her shoulder at Draco, who was looking at her seductively, Blaise grabbed her arm, and withdrew it, then kissed her on the cheek,

"I'm sure I'll think of all sorts of interesting ways, but for now, we've got class," reluctantly he released her. They got up and made their way out the room, at the last moment Blaise turned to her and said,

"Would you let me have her if I did?" winking at her, he left. She smiled, a wickedly Slytherin look. She would do anything to please her boys, and if that meant indulging Blaise's want, then she would be willing to allow him have Ginny. Seemingly not giving a fuck at what it would do to Harry. Maybe she and Draco could even watch, what fun, she thought to herself.

The rest of the day rolled on, Harry and Ron felt better about Hermione, when Ginny told them she'd been to see her. Ginny on the other hand was on edge all day, Blaise seemed to be following her, popping up in the corridor in between all her classes. He never spoke to her, just stared at her. Draco watched with amusement as Blaise continued to torment the poor girl, just itching to be back with Hermione. That little show she put on earlier had given him such a craving for her he had to skip dinner to be with her. Leaving Blaise at the Slytherin table, further riling the little Red head, he made his way to the Heads Dorms. Whispering the password, the portrait swung open. Hermione was no where to be found, her books lay discarded on the floor. He took the stairs two at a time up to her room. Her clothes lay strewn on the ground, the door to the adjoining bathroom open slightly, steam pouring out. He grinned wickedly, and led by example, throwing his clothes off, he entered the bathroom. He could see her outline through the shower screen, pushing it aside, he crept up behind her and snaked his hand in between her thighs. She screamed,

"What the fuck!" She turned her head, seeing it was him, "DRACO! You scared the living daylights out of me!" Her anger turned to delight as Draco increased the pressure, slipping his index finger in and out of her.

"Sorry Lover. I've been craving you all day." She smiled, then extracted his hand. Turning round she used all her strength to shove him against the shower wall. Running her hands down his body, she took his cock in her hand and sensually rubbed him up and down. He kissed her deep, palming her breast, dragging his thumb across her nipple. She moaned, increasing the speed of her hand,

"Thats it, sorry Angel. I've had enough of your teasing." Switching their positions he lifted her up against the wall, her legs instinctively wrapping her legs around him. She pouted at him, he smirked,

"Damn Slytherins," she said, he sniggered then thrust upwards into her. Slowly, torturously he moved within her, she shot him a reproving look, "Stop screwing around Malfoy, fuck me faster." He was only to happy to oblige, increasing his pace and grinding her into the wall. She came with a scream, he followed not long after, both collapsing to the floor of the shower, the water cascading around them. Once they had regained the use of their limbs, they extracted themselves from each other, dried off and headed to Blaises room for round two. This was how Blaise found them when he returned from dinner, Hermione riding Draco, her head thrown back in ecstasy. She didn't notice he had come in the room, but Draco looked over at him, the blond nudged Hermione and she turned to look at him, smiling she beckoned him over with one perfectly manicured finger. He didn't need telling twice, he removed his clothes and made his way over to the bed. Draco and Hermione came simultaneously, gasping each others names. She looked over to Blaise, he was reclining next to them on the double bed, she moved off Draco towards him. Blaise pulled her on top of him, then rolled them both over so he was positioned on top of her, with a wicked glint at her he said,

"Are you ready for payback Cara?" He nipped at her neck, then proceeded to kiss all the way down her neck, to her breasts. Spending time, he thumbed each nipple, making them stand on end, she giggled. He licked down her chest, over her stomach; his fingers already probing at her core. He slowly kissed each thigh, purposefully avoiding her centre. Draco in the meantime was sat in the chair in the corner smoking, one hand wrapped round his cock. Blaise was still torturing Hermione, his fingers not sliding deep enough to satisfy her, his kisses avoiding the place she wanted them, she was starting to become frustrated,

"BLAISE!" she cried, he smirked,

"I want to hear you beg Cara. I told you, you'd regret teasing me. I am fully prepared to just leave you like this." She shot him a pleading look, then changed it to devious, if he played games with her, why couldn't she with him? She pushed him off of her,

"I'm not going to beg. If you're not prepared to finish what you started, I'll just have to do it myself." smiling smugly, she trailed her own hand downwards. Blaise growled, he wanted to give her what she wanted, before she could react, he was on top of her again, he pinned both her hands above her head, "Beg Cara. I can tie you here all night." She gave a look that could kill, with a sigh of resignation she said in her most sarcastic tone,

"Please Blaise. Screw me now." He chuckled, the sarcasm was not lost on him, but he was so turned on he just had to fuck her then. Hermione squealed when he finally thrust into her, he was different to Draco, but it still felt wonderful. With all the teasing that had gone on beforehand, it didn't take her long to be screaming his name; Draco watching on, proud to own such an exquisite girl. Blaise tensed and finally found his release; exhausted he collapsed beside her. He turned his head to face her,

"See Cara, thats me hot under the collar."

**Chapter Ten**

She had never slept so contentedly in her life, waking the next morning she found herself wedged in between two very naked, very sexy men. Draco had his arm draped round her waist, Blaise's leg was hooked over her own, pinning her down. Smiling she turned her head towards the blonde, she couldn't believe that someone could look more handsome asleep then awake, but he did. She pushed on blonde lock of hair out of his face, the hand around her tightened and pulled her closer, until she was almost nose to nose with him, one eye opened lazily then closed again, he said to her,

"Something wrong Love?" She snuggled against him, and replied,

"No, just thinking. You know maybe you should dye your hair, this colour, its so bleurgh!" She giggled, he began to tickle her in all the right places,

"Aw c'mon Granger, you know you love my hair really. It makes me, hmm, what's the word..." She tugged at said hair,

"Arrogant?" More tickling, in her struggle to stop him, she accidently elbowed Blaise in the stomach, he awoke with a start,

"What the fuck? OW! That hurt Cara." She pushed Draco off her, and caressed her lovers stomach,

"Sorry Baby, Draco was tickling me. Don't you think he'd look better with different colour hair?" Draco glared daggers at her, and began to pout. She giggled, "Oh poor boy, you know I'm only kidding! Trust a Malfoy not to take a joke." She checked the time, they had forty five minutes to make it down for breakfast. She extracted herself from the tangle of sheets and bodies, and got out the bed. The two men made noises of protest,

"Cara, come on, we have ages. Come back to bed." She shook her head,

"Sorry boys, I missed breakfast yesterday, besides you wouldn't want to miss my having a go at those two twits now would you?" With a mischievous twinkle in her eye, she skipped off to the bathroom. Draco and Blaise looked at each other and smirked, getting up from the bed, they both headed to the bathroom.

When she had finally got out of the shower, she dressed hurriedly and hurtled to the Great Hall. When she entered, she sauntered over to the Gryffindor table, dropping a kiss on Ron's lips she settled down for breakfast. Ron and Harry looked at her puzzled, she seemed different, Ron looked her,

"Are you feeling better Hermione?" She gave him a patronizing smile,

"Why of course not Ron, thats why I'm sitting here eating toast and jam." Ron drew his hands up in mock surrender,

"Sorry I asked." He said. She laughed, actually it was more of a snigger. Harry scrutinized her appearance, her hair was straighter and styled, she had make-up on for the first time ever, her brown eyes surrounded by smoky kohl rings. Her lips shone with gloss; even her school uniform looked different on her. She looked, well, to put it bluntly, sexy. She realised that Harry was gaping at her,

"What are you staring at?" She asked aggressively, he looked shocked,

'What's with you Hermione? You seem different." She smiled sarcastically,

"Well you see Harry, I was a little pissed off that I don't even seem to be allowed to be sick without you two questioning what's going on, and threatening the Head Boy? Are you trying to cause trouble for yourselves!" Speaking of the Head Boy; the female population of Hogwarts began to talk excitedly, for Blaise and Draco had just entered looking hotter then usual. They both seemed to be smiling rather then glowering at the room. They realised that all the girls were staring at them, smirked at each other and sauntered in as if they hadn't noticed. Blaise swept his gaze over to the Gryffindor table, caught her eye, then looked directly at Ginny, who blushed under his piercing brown eyes. Fortunately Harry was too busy sparing with Hermione to notice this,

"Idiot." She thought. Harry was now just babbling crap at her, she was snapped out of her train of thought by Harry clicking his fingers in front of her face,

"Are you even listening to me Hermione?" She snapped her head back round to him,

"Of course I am. I just got bored with what you were saying. Look Harry, I don't really feel like arguing with you right now." She got up from her place and waltzed out of the hall, most male eyes followed her, such was her astounding change. Harry didn't accept that and followed her into the entrance hall.

"HERMIONE!" he yelled at her, she turned on him, eyes ablaze,

"What Harry! What do you want me to say!" Half the school was now loitering in the hallway, watching the argument with rapt attention. Draco and Blasie forefront, observing as she glowed with power, her eyes and hair had visibly darkened, Draco chuckled, this was going to be good. Harry was well aware that the whole school had turned out to watch this, but that didn't stop him,

"I want to fucking know why you are suddenly acting like a right selfish little cow! Do you even care what's going on around you? Do you even give a damn that people are dying?"

"I'm selfish! What about you? This war doesn't just affect you, you know! It affects the whole fucking world, but all you seem to care about is revenge!" Harry visibly shook with rage,

"You think I don't know that? I spend every day worrying about the fact that this war could kill every last fucking one of us. I spend every day worrying that some one else will die because I can't do what it is I'm meant to." She threw her arms up, then came a step closer to him, her face contorted into a twisted mask of anger and pity, before she spoke, she rounded on the crowd,

"This isn't the fucking West End. All of you bugger off! NOW!" The look in her eyes and the power raging around her made the crowd scatter, only Ron and Ginny remained. She saw Draco and Blaise position themselves so that they would not be seen, but could still observe the scene. Finally after everyone had disappeared she spoke, in a calm manner,

"For God's sake Harry, you have to get over this complex you have. Yes its your job to kill Voldemort but you gotta stop worrying about everyone else, they can take care of themselves. Me, Ron, Ginny we got it covered, and the Aurors aren't there for nothing. I will do everything in my power to help, but you have to appreciate that I'm my own person. Ron, this includes you as well." He stepped next to Harry and nodded, finally they were actually listening to her for a change, shame that it took a public argument and a display of her seemingly unlimited power, "I've changed, we all have. I'm sorry for yelling but it seemed that that was the only way you'd actually listen." Her anger had almost all gone, the thunder had stopped, and her appearance had gone back to normal. Her best friends enveloped her in a hug, Ginny joining in, she smiled. Harry apologized for his behaviour,

"I'm sorry too Hermione. Everything has just been really tense recently, school, the fight, Malfoy. Every time I see him, I'm just reminded of that night. I felt so useless. I didn't want to ever feel that again. So I guess thats why I kept over-reacting to everything. When you weren't in class the other day, I thought the worst, it was just so unlike you. Especially since you're sharing a room with that evil prat." Hermione chuckled, Blaise would love that nickname, Ron beamed at her and kissed her gently,

"We promise Mione, that we will definitely not over-react anymore. Ginny did actually talk to us this morning about things." Ginny grinned,

"Well," she said, "You two were being somewhat ridiculous. She had after all, got you both through your entire time here. She's got more sense then the both of you put together!" This had them all laughing, soon the Golden Trio plus one were walking down the hall arm in arm, all being back to normal or so it seemed. As she passed Draco and Blaise's hiding place, she turned her head, her mouth spilt into a smirk, she winked at them. Oh, she had changed, the Golden Idiots just couldn't see that her change had been bought about by the two of the people they despised the most, and that the display of power they had witnessed would one day in the distance future be used against them. Once the four had disappeared around the corner, the two Slytherins revealed themselves. Rejoicing in their triumph, they followed her to class.

Draco watched her all day, observed how she acted with her friends, with her boyfriend. It appeared to all around that she was back to the prissy Gryffindor Princess, playfully scolding Harry and Ron for not concentrating, or assuming that she'd help them with their studies; laughing with Ginny about God knows what. To all around it seemed everything was back to normal. If only they knew. Lunchtime came, and Blaise had disappeared to study or something, he was left on his own. Unfortunately McGonagall spied him walking to the Great Hall alone and called him over for a supreme ear-bashing,

"Mr. Malfoy! Was I not clear when I said that you were to be escorted everywhere in the school? Where is Mr. Zabini, I believe he was taking over for Miss. Granger for a while." Draco shrugged,

"He had to study and before you ask I have no idea where Granger is either." She frowned at him,

"I believe that Miss. Granger is in the Great Hall having lunch with her friends, please go and join her now." He grimaced,

"Thats where I was just headed," he said under his breath before turning on his heel and walking into the Great Hall. Sure enough there was his Goddess sat talking animatedly to Potty and the Weasel. He strode over to where they were seated and took the empty place next to her. Potter looked at him with contempt,

"Are you lost Malfoy? Slytherin table is over there. Fuck off." Draco only smirked,

"Manners Potter. If you remember I have to sit with our esteemed Head Girl because she's meant to be my escort." Hermione scowled at him,

"Where's Zabini? He's meant to be baby sitting you this week." She said scathingly, he retaliated by shrugging his shoulders and scowling back,

"No fucking idea. McGonagall told me to come sit here, so here I am."

"Well seeing as you are inconveniencing me and my friends, you can keep your mouth shut. We don't want your opinion or anything, clear?" He raised an eyebrow, he liked this side of her, it made him want to screw her there and then. He nodded and kept his mouth shut, ignoring them for the rest of lunch. However, under the table Draco's hand was halfway under Hermione's skirt, his fingers circling on her inner thigh. He took the opportunity when her friends got up to leave to yank her down and whisper seductively in her ear,

"I like when you're dominating, Angel. Catch ya later." He grinned wickedly, unluckily for them, Ron turned at the last minute to see Hermione leaning away from him, he was livid.

"Malfoy! What the fuck are you doing?" Hermione thought it best to play up to her, 'I really do hate Malfoy attitude.' Hermione flew into Ron's arm,

"Leave it, he's not worth it. If he still thinks that calling me a Mudblood bothers me, he is really mistaken." Ron hugged her to him, glaring daggers at Draco. Draco fumed, he was itching for a good enough reason to smack the Weasel one. Especially seeing as he had his hands all over Hermione. He began towards her in a faux menacing fashion, Ron shoved her out of the way, advancing towards Draco. He balled his fist and threw a punch at Draco, Seeker reflexes kicking in, the blond ducked, then upper cut into Ron's stomach, and hitting him round the face seconds later, sent him hurtling backwards. Raising his chin, defiantly, the Slytherin stalked past the Golden foursome, being careful to tread on an unconcious Ron as he went. Hermione knew she should have been more mad at her lover, but there was something incredibly sexy about him punching her so-called boyfriend. Harry and Ginny broke her from her reverie, saying that Ron needed the hospital wing. She had to see Draco right that instance, muttering excuses about finishing a piece of Homework for class that afternoon, she ran from the Great Hall. She headed for her Common Room, however before she got there, someone grabbed her into an empty classroom. Recognizing the intoxicating scent of her blond lover, she threw herself into his embrace. Pulling back to look his eyes, which right now were clouded over with anger, she smiled,

"Nice right hook Lover." His face cracked his trademark smirk, his eyes returning to their normal grey,

"You're not angry?" She shook her head and kissed him deeply. "Guess not." He said, laughing. He met her lips again, backing her towards the wall. She slammed into it, his hand above her head. She moaned as his other hand wandered around her body, snaking up her skirt; dropping to his knees, he dragged her underwear down her legs, lifting up each foot, he pulled them completely from her body. Standing up again he pecked her on the cheek, pocketed her underwear and said, "See you later, Love." Gritting her teeth, she shouted after him,

"I HATE YOU MALFOY!"

**Chapter Eleven**

Ron ended up being in the hospital wing for the next two days, his nose was broken, and he had a couple of cracked ribs. She had been to see him, not really reacting at the sight of her beaten boyfriend, or joining him and Harry in the tirade against Malfoy. They didn't seem to worry about this too much, the upcoming Quidditch match between Gryffindor and Ravenclaw being foremost in their minds. She just sat and listened quietly, too tired to really involve herself in pointless chatter. What with her Head Girl duties, studying, and helping Harry research, nighttime was really the only time she got to spend with Draco and Blaise without interference. Treating Draco with hateful indifference in public was also becoming hard for her, it was easier with Blaise because he was her colleague, but with Draco she couldn't show any sign of anything other then burning distaste. Frustrating as it was, she knew that she had to grin and bear it; Draco and Blaise were adamant that no one could know, and she agreed. If they were found out, the consequences were unimaginable. just thinking about it made her head hurt. Lying in Draco's arms one night that week, she had talked with him about their future. She confessed her fears that when the war came, he would leave her. She hadn't forgotten the dreams, they were forefront in her mind, especially now, now she had found him, she didn't want to lose him. He had reassured her the best he could, as had Blaise when he joined them. But she couldn't get the image of them, stood on that blood drenched battlefield, saying goodbye, telling her they'd always be watching. She wept in their arms.

**She couldn't breathe, couldn't think. Standing in the ruins of the castle, she waited. Waited for the world to stop spinning, so she could stand still long enough to catch her breath. He had promised that he would watch her, wait for her but she could no longer feel him. He had abandoned her to a life she did not want. Her cries echoed through the dark, cutting like a knife through his heart. He could no longer stand it, he had to reach out and touch her. She stood like a tragic heroine, the only pure thing on a cursed landscape. He belonged in this world, and however much he tried to convince himself she did, he couldn't. She was to good. To good to be tainted by him. One tear rolled down his cheek. He left her to her despair. He could not save her, not this time.**

They woke to find her gone. The common room stood empty, so did her room. They checked the bathroom. She was nowhere to be found. Draco was deeply troubled, he had dreamt of her again, and he had felt that she had shared that dream. He did not relay this trouble to Blaise. They had enought to worry about. Along with Hermione being awol, they had both received a summons from Lucius. They were to go to the Riddle house at Midnight that evening; plans had been made and the Dark Lord wished to announce the beginning of the first wave. This was it, the war had begun. Draco needed to find her. He stormed out of the Head's Rooms to the Great Hall, looking around, he couldn't see her anywhere. Her friends were sat chatting happily, he was about to go and yell at them, when he felt his collar being yanked back. Blaise pulled him roughly into the Entrance Hall,

"What the hell do you think you're doing!" Draco threw Blaise at the wall, his fingers wrapped around the Italians throat,

"I've warned you before Zabini, don't make me angry." His grey eyes were cold, black. All he could think about was finding her, and he would destroy anyone in the way, and right now that meant throttling Blaise where he stood. Blaise was gasping for air, his face slowly turning blue, then out the corner of his eye, he saw Theo Nott raise his wand. Draco sensed Nott behind him and ducked to the ground. The stunning charm hit the wall, dangerously close to Blaise's head. Led out by the noise of the spells impact, Harry, Ron and Ginny stood watching the altercation between the three Slytherins. Ginny's heart was pounding, Blaise was collapsed on the floor, striving for oxygen, an ugly purple bruise ringing his neck. Draco was still crouched, he looked like a cat, ready to pounce. No-one in the hall that day had ever seen Draco Malfoy move so fast, he leapt for Theodore Nott, and laid into him, reducing him to bloody pulp in mere seconds. As satisfying as it was to watch for him, Harry couldn't help but feel sorry for the other Slytherin, frankly he hadn't ever seen Malfoy so dangerous. It was becoming painful to watch, luckily Crabbe and Goyle appeared out of no where and dragged Draco off. He shrugged them off, then growled menacingly at Nott,

"You ever interfere with my fucking business again, what I do to you will make this seem like a pinprick. Got that?" Nott was coughing up blood, but he managed to lift his head and nod, then to Crabbe and Goyle he said, "Get him to the fucking hospital wing before he bleeds to death." Turning his back on them all, he offered his hand to Blaise and pulled him up. Blaise knew that he had right royally pissed his friend off, and for that he had been served a very severe warning. Draco strode out of the front doors, into the harsh morning sunlight. He made his way to the shores of the Black Lake, staring across it, he lit up a cigarette and took a long drag. His hand was coated in blood, his knuckles red raw. The morning air was chill, but he didn't feel it, it had been a long time since he had felt the cold. The only time he had felt warmth was with her, that was when he realized. He wasn't alone.

The dawn sun streamed through the windows, Hermione had been awake for hours. The harsh reality of her dream infecting her sleep. She extracted herself from Draco's grasp, and slowly rose out of the bed. Looking back down on his sleeping form, she memorized every piece of him, wanting the image of him to sleeping to stay with her forever. She tore her eyes away, and walked to her room. She dressed in her uniform, picked up her wand, then exited the common room. The homely, comforting atmosphere of Hogwarts was dead at this time of the morning. The long, winding passages held no solace. She wandered, alone all the way to the front doors of the castle. Opening the doors, she breathed in the crisp, dawn air. It was cold, she wished she had worn her winter cloak. Hermione made her way to the tree by the lake, remembering the day she saw the change in Draco Malfoy, how lonely he had looked, what he must have been facing. She pitied him then, now she had no idea how she felt about him. Neither had spoken of love, granted she had only been sleeping with him for a grand total of six days. Not even a week, yet she was certain that what they had went beyond sex. She felt it every time he kissed her, with every word he whispered in her ear, with every touch. Sinking to the ground against the tree, she peered into the distance; watching as the autumn sun crept over the lake, through the trees, creating a false sense of beauty. Her dreams troubled her, she knew now that they were sketchy portents of their future; a future that was bleak, happiness eluding them at every step. She stayed there, unaware of her lovers anger, his concern for her. Unaware that somewhere the Dark Lord was plotting the first wave of attack against the forces of Light. She stayed there until he came for her. Smoke curling around his head, his platinum blond hair gleaming, his eyes darkened with untold anger and worry. He looked down at her, a cracked smile gracing his lips.

They sat against the tree, her leaning into his embrace, caressing his swollen hands, cleaning the blood off with her robe. He kissed the top of her head, she didn't ask for an explanation, she knew that he had been angry. His eyes told her that; and he had been worried for her, especially after the dream. She turned to face him, stroking the side of his face,

"I'm sorry," she whispered. His eyes flashed with anger again,

"Don't apologise." he snapped. Tears glistened in her brown eyes, his expression softened, revealing his fear, and his great concern for her, "Oh God, I'm sorry, Angel. I shouldn't shout at you. I was just, just, so worried when you weren't in my arms this morning. I thought the worst, I tried to find you, but I couldn't. I was about to ask your friends but Blaise pulled me back. I was so angry, I..." She embraced him, the hurt and pain in his voice was heart breaking, at that moment she forgot the world and everything in it. At that moment there was only him.

"Its okay Draco. Did you..hurt him?" Draco couldn't look at her, how would she trust him now? He nodded, she looked down at his hand, worry for Blaise now filling her, "What happened?"

"I was so blind with anger, worry. Blaise, he got in my way. All I could think about was finding you. Then Theo Nott got involved, he almost blew my head off. I snapped. He...I...he's in the hospital wing." She shook with concern for him,

"Is Blaise okay?" He nodded. She really had no idea what to say to him. On the one hand, concern for Blaise and actual fear were clouding her mind; on the other, her connection to Draco was overwhelming her to the point that she didn't care what he had done. All she cared about was that he was here with her, at this moment. Not that she didn't care for Blaise, she did, but there was something more to her relationship with Draco, they were fated to one another and no one was getting in the way of that. She shuddered, a chill scraping its way down her spine, he tightened his grip on her. The dream that they had shared had put their whole existence into perspective; Draco had thought that it would be simple, she would switch her allegiance because of him and they would be together forever. She had thought that she could stay loyal to the Light side and be with Draco, but that was becoming a fabrication. In reality he knew that he had to leave her to save her, and she knew that they would forever be on different sides, and that fact would forever strive to separate them. But she swore then and there that she would do everything in her power to fight it, she was not about to just let him give up. She forced him to look her the eyes, "It doesn't matter. I don't care what you did, what you are. I know that what I feel when I'm with you is unlike anything I've ever felt, and when I'm not with you, I feel empty, like there's something missing. It kills me." He looked away from her again, but she snapped his head back, "Look at me Draco," he trained his gaze back to her, the intensity in her eyes was enthralling, he pulled her into a deep kiss. She responded, curling into his body, reveling in him, "We need to get to class." They got up, and made their way back to the castle separately, so no-one saw them together. He walked behind her, then stopped, realizing what she had been saying to him. no matter what, she would find a way for them to be together. No matter what.


	2. Chapter 12

**Chapter Twelve**

Hermione spent that evening in the library, she hadn't seen Draco since that morning. He had been distant ever since their conversation under the tree, she had an inkling that there was something troubling him. Something that had nothing to do with her. Sighing, she packed up her books and made her way back to the common room. Predictably, Draco and Blaise were sprawled on the sofas drinking firewhiskey and smoking. Having not seen Blaise since the night before, she was shocked when she saw the ugly purple bruise around his neck. She shut the portrait door with a bang, this caused the two men to look up. On seeing her, Draco's face broke into the same cracked smile she had seen earlier, he rose of the sofa to embrace her. She relaxed into his arms, inhaling the scent of expensive cigarettes. Blaise had also risen, and moved towards the couple,

"I hate to break this up, but we have somewhere to be Draco," he said in a serious tone. Hermione's head snapped up, worry etched into her features, Blaise sensed her concern. Pulling her from Draco's embrace, he kissed her, reassuring her that everything was fine. She wasn't convinced,

"What's going on? Where are you going?" She had separated herself from the both of them, and her anger was now flaring, along with a sickening feeling in her gut that they were being summoned by Voldemort. As if reading her mind, Draco said,

"You know we can't tell you Hermione. You know how dangerous this is. We'll be back by morning, sleep in Blaise's bed tonight, we'll find you there in the morning," he took her in his arms and kissed her passionately, "I swear to you I'll be back tomorrow. I promise." Releasing her, he grabbed his cloak, and strode out of the door. Blaise followed behind him, sending an apologetic glance at her, before disappearing into the night. She waited until they were truly gone before letting the tears take over. The reality of the situation hitting her harder then ever. It was always going to be like this, they would disappear without explanation, and she would never know if it would be the last time she would see them. She knew that until Harry defeated Voldemort, she could never truly be with Draco without putting them into mortal peril. Her conscious was screaming at her to go and tell Harry that they had gone, that something big was happening, but her heart refused to let her move. She couldn't do it without putting Draco in danger of being caught, then she would lose him forever. So she forced herself to move, up the stairs to Blaise's room, not even bothering to undress she collapsed onto the bed, feeling cold and alone without Draco beside her.

_..."When morning breaks, the whole wizarding world will be reminded that I am their Lord, and sooner or later I will have all the power."... _The words of that maniac reverberated round his head. The meeting had been insightful, revealing. The war had begun, Voldemort had made the first move. He stood in the cold, dark surrounding Hogwarts castle, cloaked by the night. After their return, Blaise had headed straight to find Hermione, but he had remained outside, needing the fresh air to clear his head. The disgust he felt at himself was overwhelming, how he could have ever wanted to follow that psychotic moron was beyond him. Whenever he looked at Voldemort now, all he could see was a sad, pathetic excuse for a wizard, whose fanatical views were pointless and outdated, and who spent his life hiding from a 17 year old boy. His mind drifted to the events of that night.

_After they had left Hermione, they made their way to the front gates of the castle, fortunately not encountering anyone on their way. Reaching the outskirts of Hogsmeade, they apparated to the Riddle house. Lucius was waiting for them in the hall, he greeted them without emotion, _

_Draco, Blaise," inclining his head towards them both, "The meeting is about to begin, follow me." Draco was confused, his Father was never that polite to him, shrugging it off, he and Blaise followed the elder Malfoy down a dank corridor, entering a door on their right. This was one of the larger meeting rooms of the vast mansion, specially set up for the gathering tonight. A large oak table ran the length of the room, which was already filling up with Death Eaters; the lower of the ranks were stood at the back of the room, they hushed when the two Malfoys and Blaise entered, a mark of respect for those in the Dark Lord's favour. Lucius took the seat to the right of the head of the table, Draco next to him. Blaise directly opposite the younger Malfoy, his Father opposite Lucius. As ambassador for the Dark Lord abroad, Blaise's father was ranked in similar favour to Lucius, and Voldemort considered him a trusted advisor. The table filled with more senior officials, Bellatrix Lestrange and her husband, Severus Snape, and others. There was awkward silence as they awaited the Dark Lord's arrival. Ten minutes later, he arrived, Wormtail scurrying after him like a lovesick puppy. Those seated at the table stood up, Draco the last to rise, the Dark Lord nodded to them all, seating himself in the ridiculously elaborate throne at the head of the table. The rest sat and the meeting began. Voldemort spoke, _

_"Greetings my loyal followers. Thank you all for coming on this glorious night. Tonight the history of this world will be irrevocably altered, tonight the Ministry will be crippled and the Order of the Phoenix will be blinded by the panic. As of tonight, I will have made the first move, and the Second War will have begun. When morning breaks, the whole wizarding world will be reminded that I am their Lord, and sooner of later I will have all the power. Now, some of you may ask, what is the plan? All in good time my friends, all in good time. But for now, I wish to know of the progress made in determining the identity of the man who attacked us in Hogsmeade village." Lucius stood up and said,_

_"I have assigned individuals to seek out and question certain people who may be aware of this filth's identity. As however, he has not been seen before now, little progress has been made. It is believed that even the Order of the Phoenix do not know his true identity." Lucius bowed and sat back down, Voldemort looked pensive, his eyes fixed on the centre of the room. After a moment his head turned to Draco, his snakelike features gleaming in the dim light, _

_"Master Malfoy, have there been any whispers within the walls of Hogwarts as to the identity of this man? I hear that that filthy little Mudblood whore of Potter's has been set the task of escorting you at the Ministry's request. Have you managed to glean any information from her?" Draco could feel Voldemort probing his mind, reaching into every crevice to extract anything of use. Draco suspected he did this to all his followers, no secrets between Lord and servant. Luckily Blaise and he had been skilled in Occlumency, and Legilmancy, since a young age. Having practiced with each other relentlessly one summer. Draco focused his thoughts and blocked Voldemort with ease, he answered with a hint of smugness to his tone,_

_"No, my Lord. The students of Hogwarts live in fear after the loss of their beloved Headmaster, no one is willing to talk of the attack on Hogsmeade or the possible identity of the disgusting traitor," the lies flowed so easily, Draco was even surprised, now for the real test, talking of Hermione without revealing his true feeling. Fortunately, as a Malfoy, hiding his feelings was something he had experience with, "As for the Mudblood, she does not speak to me, I have yet to hear a word from her, beside insulting me." Voldemort seemed to accept it, although it happened to be the worst lie he had ever told. Across the table, Blaise breathed a silent sigh of relief, their secret was safe, for now. Voldemort paused then once again spoke to the entire room, his hoarse voice making the hairs on the back of Draco's neck stand on end,_

_"Very well, Master Malfoy. I think it prudent for you to keep your head down for now. We do not wish for Miss. Granger to become suspicious of your activities. Now, a word of caution to you all, last weeks attack was sloppy and unplanned. Many Death Eaters were lost. I will not tolerate failure of this magnitude again. Understood?" Murmurs of 'Yes, my Lord' echoed round the room. Voldemort clasped his hands together, an unusual look of pleasure on his inhuman face, "Good. Now, back to business. It is time my friends to reveal to you my plan. Those involved shall be honoured above all. Rise my servants." Around the table, the elder Malfoy and Zabini stood, followed by Bellatrix, Rodolphus, Nott and Macnair. Voldemort stood with them, and finally revealed the details, "Tonight, the Ministry will fall. These six, shall break into the lower levels of the Ministry and create a serious of explosions that shall devastate the foundations of the building. This in turn shall weaken the entire structure causing it to be destroyed in complete and utter chaos. Those good little people who are working late shall be killed, and we also know that several important members of the Ministry will be there, they will also meet their demise. This blow will cripple the inner workings of the establishment, causing a rift so huge that it will weaken both the Order and the Aurors, creating multiple windows of opportunity for us to strike. Tonight my friends is only the beginning, when the time comes, I will tear this world to pieces and rebuild it the way it ought to be!" The Death Eaters in the room applauded, Draco felt sick, who could have thought the Dark Lord would suddenly be so impulsive. The Light side may never recover from this blow, yet he couldn't do a thing about it. Events had to play out. The meeting ended with the chosen six apparating away to do their work. The Dark Lord disappearing to his private chambers. Draco and Blaise did not speak on their way out, both playing over in their minds what had been said, what was about to happen. They feared for her._

Now here he was, waiting for morning to come, and with it, complete chaos. Dragging deeply on the cigarette between his lips, Draco contemplated the new dawn, the wizarding world would be blind with panic, then the massacre would begin. He stayed there until the sun pierced the land, leaking blood red rays over the ground, which was crusted with ice. He remembered his promise to her. He turned his back on the rising sun and started towards the school, stopping dead in his tracks when he saw the figure watching him from the stone steps of Hogwarts Castle.


	3. Chapter 13

**Chapter Thirteen**

Harry had been awake for hours, his scar had been prickling since the early hours of the morning, his sleep had been punctuated by dreams of fire, death and the cruel, sinister laughter of Lord Voldemort, taunting him, calling him out. Harry had eventually given up and had been sat in common room ever since. He knew that something big was happening, his scar tingling and the intensity of his nightmares told him that. He had received a letter from Lupin earlier that evening, it had read,

_Harry, _

_I hope you are keeping well. The Order had received news that a large number of Death Eaters were meeting tonight, we have reason to believe that Voldemort will be in attendance. Mundungus is going to try and follow them, but chances are slim. All we know is that there is whisper of something happening, for all we know it could be a large scale attack. Whatever it is, it may mean the start of the war. I will send you word when we know more. If it is what we fear, you and Ron need to be here. We'll need your expertise to find the remaining Horcruxes. Yes, we know about that particular little obstacle. After you left for Hogwarts, we received a letter, via Gringotts. It was addressed to the Order, and it was written by Dumbledore. Enclosed is a copy. Take care Harry. Be aware._

_Remus_

Harry personally thought that Lupin had been a fucking idiot sending both letters, what if it had fallen into the wrong hands? However that problem was solved when Ron had tried to read the letter, as both parchments appeared to him completely blank, the same happened when Ginny tried. It seemed Lupin had charmed the paper so only Harry could read it, clever little trick Harry had thought. He had had to read the letter from Dumbledore aloud, making sure to cast silencing charms around the room, and a locking charm on the dormitory,

_To the Order of the Phoenix,_

_If you are reading then it means I am gone. Do not worry, for I knew that the time would come sooner or later. I only wish that I could have seen this through to the end. I implore you all to keep fighting, determination and dedication are met with victory. I also wish for you to aid Harry by whatever means necessary. His task to kill Voldemort is not an easy one and he will need every resource on hand to complete it. Voldemort has created seven Horcruxes, two have been destroyed, and hopefully by tonight that number will be down another one. Leaving three to find, thus allowing Harry to destroy the final piece of Voldemort's soul, the piece that resides inside his body. Support Harry, he may be the only hope this world has to survive. Also a word caution, some things may not be what they seem. Good Luck my friends, may we meet again in some place and time, though please not so soon. _

_Yours,_

_Albus Dumbledore_

Harry had been silent for a long time after reading the letter from his old Headmaster. All that kept running through his head was that Dumbledore must have known what was going to happen, he knew that he was going to die, whether it be by the poison in the cave or by Draco Malfoy's hand, he could not have anticipated Snape being the one to murder him. Harry fought back the bile that had risen in his throat, he had re-read the letter several times that evening, as if looking for a sign, a message from Dumbledore that would help him. It was only after the tenth time that a post script appeared, written in Dumbledore's hand,

_Harry,_

_I am sorry that I could not be with you, to see your destiny fulfilled. However circumstance appears to have interfered. I ask you not to be angry at yourself, it is neither your fault nor your responsibility, you could not have for-seen the events of this night. I knew of the plan to bring Death Eaters into the school, as I knew of the task set to Mister Malfoy. It is I who could not have for-seen his completion of it. He is, as much a part of this war as yourself, he has reasonable cause to want Voldemort dead. He may even help you, if what I have predicted comes to pass. Now I ask you Harry, in your hunt for the remaining Horcruxes, look to the past, not just Voldemorts, but your own and your Godfathers. The Black families unfortunate association with the Dark side may provide key information to help you. Good Luck my young friend, I have faith that you have in you the power and the love to defeat the dark forever._

_Albus Dumbledore_

Now sat by the fireplace, Harry contemplated Dumbledore's final words to him, he could not fathom what possible reason Malfoy would have for helping him. He knew though, that the identity of the Death Eater who saved him could have possibly been the Slytherin. He had not seen Malfoy in Hogsmeade that day, he could have apparated in with the other Death Eaters. Harry felt sick at the thought of being indebted to Malfoy. A noise distracted him, he turned to look at the staircase, Ginny was at the bottom, bleary eyed. She smiled when she saw him, he had left her sleeping soundly in his bed, but here she was. She came over, he pulled her onto his lap,

"I woke up and you were gone, I got worried, so I came to find you. Are you thinking about the letter?" He nodded, and read to her the post script, she looked confused, "Malfoy? Why would Malfoy want to help you? He hates you. What does Dumbledore mean, _'if what I have predicted comes to pass'_?" He shook his head,

"I don't know Gin, but I'm starting to think that Malfoy was the one who saved my life in Hogsmeade. I mean Zabini, he saved yours and Hermione's even though he's a Death Eater. So maybe, just maybe Dumbledore is right, and Malfoy wants Voldemort dead as much as we do." Ginny's heart fluttered, if Blaise was on their side, then maybe, just maybe she could...'No, I can't do that to Harry,' she thought, focussing back on her boyfriend, with the weight if the world on his shoulders. The sun was beginning to rise, Harry looked over to the window just in time to see an owl land on the sill. He got up so fast, Ginny fell on her butt. He ran to the window and let the owl in, tearing the letter from its leg. Hurriedly he read the contents,

_Harry,_

_The Ministry has been destroyed. Death Eaters broke in and set explosions. The whole place is a mess, we don't know how may casualties there are. We need you at Headquarters immediately, Send for Ron when you get here. Best to leave Hermione and Ginny, it will be safer for them at Hogwarts. Be careful, don't let anyone see you leave. We'll inform Professor McGonagall when you arrive. Hurry._

_Remus_

Harry bolted for the stairs, leaving a bewildered Ginny looking at a blank parchment. Another letter for only Harry's eyes. He came back down the stairs five minutes later, a bag packed, his broom over his shoulder, and his wand tucked into his jeans pocket. She took one look at him and knew that he was leaving, and he may not come back,

"Harry?" She said tentatively, "You're leaving, aren't you? What is it, what happened?" He looked at her, his girl, hair shining in the light of the fire, he pulled her into his arms, and murmured into her hair,

"I have to Ginny. The Ministry is gone, destroyed. They need me at Headquarters. It's begun, the War, this is it," she cried into his chest, he tipped her head towards his, "Listen to me Ginny, I love you so much. But I can't take you with me, you're safe here, however when the time comes, I promise there will be a place for you in the Final Battle. I'll need you by my side when I defeat him, your my strength." He kissed her deeply, she responded to him and wrapped her arms around him. All too soon he had to go, when he was at the door he turned to her and said,

"Will you send Ron after me in the morning?"

"Yeah. What about Hermione?" she replied, Harry looked down, then answered,

"Tell her, I'm sorry." With that he was gone, creeping down the dark corridor, and out the doors of the castle. When he reached the steps, he halted in his tracks. He saw a figure in the distance, blonde hair gleaming. Malfoy, and he was coming towards him. Lupin had warned him not to let anyone see him, but Harry stood his ground, ready to confront the Prince of Slytherin. Dropping his bag and broom, he pulled out his wand and waited.


	4. Chapter 14

**Chapter Fourteen**

Draco drew his wand, if Potter was going to start something, it was best to be prepared. He walked towards the boy who lived, a hard look on his face. Potter stepped forward, wand raised, Draco however stopped about ten metres from him,

"Didn't have you down as the early bird Potter, Weaselette get tired of you and kick you out of bed?" Draco knew he shouldn't taunt Potter, after all the reason he was up early probably had something to do with the events of last night. Harry sneered at the blonde,

"Its none of your business Malfoy. Why are you out so early? Just get back from destroying our Government?" So Potter knew that the Ministry was destroyed, Draco had guessed right, so he did not bother with lies,

"I see you've heard then. I'm not gonna lie to you, I knew, but if you think I had anything to do with it, you are sadly mistaken. Now if you'll excuse me, I'd like to get some sleep before breakfast." He made to walk past, but Potter stood in his way, Draco glowered, "Get out my way Potter, as I said on the platform, I'm not going to fight you." Strangely, Potter lowered his wand and stepped aside, Draco walked past towards the door. Harry stood, he couldn't just let Malfoy go without saying something,

"Why'd you do it Malfoy?" Draco stopped and turned, a look of discontent on his face,

"Do what Potter?" Harry couldn't believe he was doing this,

"Save my life. I know it was you. I just don't know why." Draco stared at him in disbelief, then lighting fast, dropped Harry to the floor his hand around the dark haired boys throat. Harry grasped for his wand, but he had not expected Malfoy to react so fast, his wand had flown down the stairs in the attack. Malfoy growled at him,

"How the fuck do you know that? Who else knows!" He relinquished his grip somewhat to allow Harry to answer,

"Dumbledore, he wrote me a letter. He knew what you were doing, and he said that you wanted Voldemort dead as much as I did. He said you might help me. I want to know why!" Draco had underestimated Harry, Harry threw Draco off of him, ran down the steps and grabbed his wand, brandishing it at Draco. The look of shock on Malfoy's face was enough to make Harry falter, "Why Malfoy?" Draco looked at Potter, no matter how much he hated the boy, and as much as he was loathe to admit it, he needed Potter to destroy Voldemort, to pave the way for him and Hermione. So he answered,

"Why? Because, yes, I want that bastard dead. I want him to suffer, I want him to know that no one fucks with me and gets away with it. Last year he used me, he tasked me to do something that he was fucking scared of doing. I couldn't do it, frankly, because Dumbledore was not my enemy, and that, that makes Voldemort a coward. I hate cowards." Draco shook his hair out of his eyes, he stepped right up towards Potter and said in a low, slightly dangerous tone, "I could stand here and discuss this with you til the cows come home Potter, but to be honest I don't want to, and I have somewhere to be. By the looks of things, so do you. I will say this, if you think that my saving your life means in any way that you have a debt to me, don't bother, I already have everything I want from you. You were never very good at closing your mind. Idiot." Draco walked back to the castle, all the information he needed to take down Voldemort in his head. Harry hadn't even realized that Malfoy had been in his head, all the vital information about the Horcruxes in the hands of Malfoy. He kicked himself mentally, how could he have been so stupid? Lupin had told him to be careful, and now he had thrown it all away. Picking up his stuff, he legged it down to the gates and apparated to Grimmauld Place.

The dawn sunlight cascaded through the window, hitting her retinas as she opened her eyes. She blinked slowly allowing her eyesight to adjust, she looked around at the figure next to her. Dark hair splayed out messily on the pillow, Blaise slept soundly next to her. Her immediate thought was, where's Draco? She leapt from the bed, frantic with worry. Hurrying down the stairs, she was about to run all the way to the Slytherin common room, then wherever else to find him, when he walked in through the portrait door. She flew into his arms, knocking the wind out of him. He hugged her tightly to him, reveling in the warmth she provided after the chill morning air. She spoke, barely audible,

"Oh God, you're okay. You're here. I woke up and you weren't next to me, I thought the worst. But you're here." He looked down at her, her eyes were wide and innocent, he had to tell her what had transpired. It would break her extreme vulnerability right now, and the blow that Potter was gone would add an extra weight. He led her to the sofa sat her next to him, pulling her close. Then he told her,

"Hermione, there's no easy way to say this but I have to tell you. The Ministry is gone, Death Eaters destroyed it last night. There was nothing that could be done to stop it." Hermione gasped in horror, she was about to speak when he cut her off, "There's more, Potter has left. I ran into him on my way in. It looked like he wasn't planning on coming back, and...he knows that it was me who saved him." Hermione stood up, walked to the kitchen and poured herself an ice cold glass of water. She felt like the worst kind of betrayer. He had no idea what to say, he couldn't find the words to comfort her. The glass in her hand shattered, slicing into her palm, she couldn't tell whether she was angry or upset, but she knew that whatever emotion she was feeling right now was tapping into her power. The skies outside had clouded over and rain was hammering down. Draco approached her cautiously, he could feel the power emulating from her body, he was connected to her in a way he couldn't explain. "Hermione..Hermione!" She rounded on him, her eyes darkened, tears rolling down her face,

"Draco..." Her voice was broken, cracked, his heart ached for her. He yanked her forwards and crushed her mouth with his, pulling all her grief and pain into him. He couldn't use words to comfort her but he would do everything in his power to help. He backed her into the wall, she had her hands twisted in her hair. He continued to kiss the life out of her, whilst edging his hands up her pajama top. She gasped, his hands were still cold from being outside. He released her mouth and peeled off her top, she ripped his shirt from his body, buttons flying everywhere. Fisting his hair in her hands she jerked his head towards hers, lips connecting them once again. She felt his power coursing through her blood stream, soothing her, calming her. He grew impatient tearing her underwear off, yanking down his trousers and boxers, he whispered in her ear,

"I need you baby, you need this. I want to make you feel." His seductive determination drove her crazy. He lifted her against the wall, like a reflex her legs wrapped around his waist pulling him closer. She dipped her head to his, kissed him, said

"Do it." It wasn't a plea, it was a demand. He thrust upward into her. Her teeth sank into the side of his neck, he was slamming her into the wall with every thrust. Her emotions at this point were running riot, on the one hand she hated him right now, he was a part of this, all the death and destruction that had happened during the night. On the other she wanted him, she wanted to take comfort in him, she wanted to love him. She clutched his shoulders, drawing blood with her fingernails, Draco hissed at the pain. Both of them refused to give in, her legs were wrapped so tight around him that his movement was restricted. In-between grunts she managed to say to him, "Why Draco! Why'd you let this happen! All those people, they died because you were too much of a fucking coward to stop them do it!" She really had no idea, he growled at her,

"Wake up Princess, this isn't a fucking fairy-tale. I am not a good guy." He finally got what he wanted, he felt her clench around him, his name screaming from her lips, he followed soon after. She released her legs from around him, he dropped her roughly to the floor, continuing his tirade, "I went to that meeting last night with no idea what was going to happen, or if I was going to even get back to you. When he announced the plan, I felt sick to my fucking stomach! But what you don't understand is that this had to happen. It wasn't nice and it wasn't fair but this is a war sweetheart, people are going to die." By this time she had got her clothes back on and she was watching him, he had pulled his trousers back on, and he stood before her shirtless. The anger had darkened his eyes, his hair was messed by their previous encounter, he looked like an angel and the devil rolled into one. She stood defiant, refusing to cry, then said in a calm tone,

"You don't think I know that? Don't treat me like an idiot Draco, I've had enough of that in my life, I don't need that from you! God!" He walked up to her and ran one long finger down the side of her cheek,

"You have no idea what I am, love. You have no idea what I've done." She shook her head and slapped him round the face, "Don't patronise me. I understand fully what you are Draco, why do you think I love you so fucking much!" He stopped and took in what she had said to him, not one person, save his mother, had told him that in his life. She was crying now, she leaned up and kissed him tenderly on the cheek. He looked down at her, his beautiful girl, he cupped her cheek,

"Don't do that Hermione. Don't fall in love with me. Tonight changed everything, this war is going to consume us all. I don't want you to die for loving me. I am not worth that." She walked backwards away from him, she couldn't believe what he was saying to her,

"Not worth it? What happened to showing me your world? I gave everything to you! And you promised, you promised this would be forever! I want to be with you so much, I've betrayed everyone I care about by being with you. I am not about to walk away because you're giving up on us!" He stood defeated by her, the defiance in her eyes was so arousing, he wanted her again. Everything had changed around them, yet she still wanted him. He had thought because of last nights attack, she would go back to hating him. Treating him like the person he once was, but he had underestimated her. After only a week of their 'relationship', she had already become completely his. He believed now that she would do anything to keep them together, and that she was changing.

"I won't give up, I'll never give up on us. You have to understand though that whatever the Death Eaters do, I have to let them, otherwise they'll kill me. I can help your side, but I won't become someone else's puppet. I will help but my way only. Voldemort has to die." She hugged him, feeling need for her against her thigh. Peering up through her lashes, she said in a seductive tone,

"I think that I need a shower, want to come?" He grinned and captured her lips with his, allowing himself to be led into the bathroom.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter Fifteen**

Draco and Hermione emerged from the shower scrubbed and clean an hour later. They were in the common room, eating breakfast when Blaise finally came downstairs, bleary eyed and half asleep still. He muttered an incoherent good morning and poured himself a cup of strong black coffee. The caffeine immediately began to clear his head, Hermione came over to him and kissed him on the cheek,

"Morning Blaise." She said, then sat herself down beside him, Draco had now disappeared off to his room in Slytherin to get changed, he was coming back have lunch with her later. Blaise raised an eyebrow,

"Morning Cara, you okay?" She nodded, but he wasn't convinced, she looked like her head was in some place else. He had heard the argument in the early hours of the morning, and he knew that things had just got serious, "Come on Hermione, I know you're not. I heard the argument this morning." She looked at him with weary eyes,

"Don't Blaise, just leave it. Me and Draco are fine." They were interrupted by a knock at the door, she went to answer it, finding Ginny on the threshold, red-eyed and exhausted. "Ginny, what, what is it?" She led Ginny into her common room, and sat her down by the fire. Ginny had a newspaper in her hand, Hermione took it from her and read the front page, the story detailed how the entire building had been leveled, there was nothing left. Twenty people had lost their lives, including Cornelius Fudge, the former Minister for Magic. Hermione plastered her best shocked face on and said,

"Oh my God. Thats so horrible. I can't believe it, its awful." Ginny nodded, and said,

"Thats not all. Harry and Ron have gone.." As she was talking she looked over at Blaise who was listening into the conversation intently, "Harry left this morning, and Ron was gone before I woke up." Hermione couldn't believe it, she knew Harry had gone, but Ron? He was supposed to be her boyfriend, granted she wasn't the best girlfriend, but he hadn't even said goodbye. Ginny seemed to realise this, "Oh Hermione, I'm sure he meant to say goodbye, but it was early, he probably didn't want to wake you." Hermione got up from the sofa and went back to the kitchen, saying to Ginny as she went,

"Yeah maybe, listen do you want some breakfast or some coffee or something?"

"Erm, coffee would be great thanks." Hermione poured her a cup and handed it to her. Blaise was still sat at the counter watching Ginny intensely, Hermione smacked Blaise on the arm, "Stop staring at her Zabini." Blaise winked,

"Sorry Cara, can't help it." Giving Ginny a wickedly seductive grin he got up and stood next to Hermione. He leaned down and whispered low enough so Ginny wouldn't hear, "Poor little rabbit, all alone, do you think it would be entirely inappropriate for me to offer myself as comfort in this sad time?" He had the wickedest smile on his face as he said this, the tone at which he did, sent shivers down Hermione's spine. She gave him a reproving look, in a low tone she said,

"Don't you dare Blaise Zabini. She doesn't need you sniffing around her at the moment. Her boyfriend has just buggered off, so has her brother. Just leave her alone okay?" He pouted, then started to kiss her neck, she smacked him, but he didn't stop. Hermione was looking over at the sofa, Ginny was staring off into the fire, but she could still turn her head and see them at any moment. She smacked him again, "Would you stop that! She could see, then where would you be huh!" She pushed him away from her and went back to sit with Ginny. Blaise left to put some clothes on, leaving Hermione and Ginny alone. Hermione put her arm around her friend,

"Ginny, you look awfully tired, why don't you go up to my room and get some sleep. You're not going to be much help to Harry being all exhausted." Ginny nodded,

"Thanks Hermione, I think I will. Will you wake me up for lunch?" All though she had plans with Draco, she felt Ginny may need her company more.

"Sure," Ginny got up from the sofa and made towards the staircase, suddenly remembering Harry's message,

"Hermione, Harry, he had a message for you. He told me to tell you he was sorry." The brunette witch looked confused, Ginny shrugged her shoulders and went up the stairs. Hermione flopped back onto the sofa, Harry should bloody well be sorry, he had left her behind, he didn't have faith in her to look after herself, just as Draco and Blaise had predicted. She sighed, although angry at both Harry and Ron for not including her, she couldn't help but feel somewhat relieved, at least this way the time she spent with Draco would be unmarred by worry about being caught. Blaise came back down, fully dressed and deliciously gorgeous, he sank on the seat next to her, pulling her to sit on his lap. She lent against him, he said,

"Sorry bout earlier Cara, I was only kidding around. Is Red okay?" She smirked at his pet name for her friend,

"Yeah she's fine, just a bit cut up about Harry and Ron leaving," Blaise looked quizzically at her,

"They left?" She nodded,

"Yeah, because of what happened last night. They left this morning, without saying goodbye. Draco ran into Harry at the gates. He knows it was Draco who saved his life, and he kept asking him why he did it. Me and Draco, we argued, about everything. I told him...I told him that I loved him and he told me that he couldn't love me." She began to cry, he hugged her to him, comforting her. Whispering in her ear that everything would be okay, that everything would work out. He just wished that he believed it.

Ginny made her way up to Hermione's room, thinking about the Head Boy, and his interactions with her best friend. This morning, unlike the other day when they were at each others throats, they seemed almost too friendly, Blaise it appeared called Hermione, Cara, whatever the hell that meant. Opening the door to the Head Girls bedroom, she found something which aroused her suspicions even more, Hermione's bed hadn't been slept in, to exhausted to think anymore on it, she collapsed onto the bed and fell into a deep sleep, the image of Blaise smiling at her planted firm within her subconscious.

**Harry was gone, he had left her. Left her to fight alone, fight against darkness that was consuming the world. She was scared, afraid of what would become of her. She wandered down a darkened corridor, not knowing where it would lead her, what was waiting. He was waiting. He knew her mind, he knew her soul. He would never leave her, not like Harry had. He would save her from this darkness, if only she would allow herself to let him. She stood in front of the door, knowing full well what was behind it. It opened and there he was. The man who had been plaguing her thoughts, he had overtaken her very being. His dark eye ruffled, his indigo eyes shining with adoration. Lunging forward he grabbed her roughly and caught her lips in a searing kiss, she felt power surging through her, he gave her strength, he gave her a reason. Her breath caught in her throat, her fears dissipating with his every movement. He whispered in her ear, his voice a low purr,**

**"You don't know how long I've wanted this. Now Pothead is gone, we can have it. You can't deny me any more Red." She moaned, and clung to him,**

**"I don't want to." Blaise smirked, and pushed her up against the wall, tearing at her clothes. She sensed a movement behind him, grey and chocolate eyes met hers. She stiffened, Blaise looked back over his shoulder and smiled, turning back to her,**

**"Relax Lover, they're not here for us. They can entertain themselves." Grinning wickedly he kissed her sensuously, over his shoulder she saw Draco and Hermione smiling smugly, before kissing each other passionately. She closed her eyes, letting sensation overtake her.**

She was shocked awake by a loud bang, bolting upright in Hermione's bed. Perspiration beaded on her forehead and her eyes pricked with tears, her dream self shaming her. However what shamed her more was her body's reaction to the dream, she stumbled into Hermione's bathroom and vomited. Splashing her face with water to calm her, she then slumped to the floor, head in her hands. Harry had only been gone for a total of about ten hours and already she was dreaming about being with another man. Not just any man either, one of her boyfriends enemies, and the best friend of Draco Malfoy. Wait, she had just remembered something else about her dream. Draco and Hermione, together. It made her blood run cold, her best friend, and a Death Eater. At least, she thought to herself that part was not reality. However, the feelings that had arisen in her when Blaise had kissed her were. She couldn't deny it to herself, she wanted him and she knew he wanted her; if he came to her then she knew she wouldn't be able to resist him. She had to get out of there, back to Gryffindor, this was all to overwhelming for her. She straightened her clothes and ran down the stairs, two steps from the bottom she tripped, flying forwards, falling flat on her face. A shadow fell across her, a hand was offered to help her up, she took it and was hauled to her feet. Dazed she looked up, straight into gleaming dark eyes. The one person she couldn't deal with right now was stood in front of her, shirtless, looking to die for. He cocked an eyebrow and smirked,

"Hey Red."

Blaise had listened as Hermione had cried her eyes out, he had reassured her that Draco had trained himself not to love. He could not deal with the pain of losing those he cared about, because he felt he couldn't protect them from Voldemort. Hermione brightened at this, at least it explained why Draco had reacted the way that he had done. The subject had then moved onto Ginny. Hermione had seen the lust Blaise had for the little red head before, and this time he had not even bothered to cover it up. Blaise wanted Ginny more now he knew that Potter was gone, without that twit in the way it would be easier to seduce her, if Hermione would let him that was. She could see the wheels in his mind stirring, and said to him,

"Say I let you have her Blaise, would you want her forever? Or would you just use her every time you couldn't have me?" He shook his head,

"Of course I wouldn't. What do you think I am? I would have her instead of you. Don't treat me like an idiot Hermione, you and Draco are meant for each other, its him you love, not me, and no offense meant Cara, but I don't love you, not like that and I know that you don't either. I care about you greatly, but I think of you more as a friend, with you know, benefits!" She smacked him on the arm,

"Nice, thanks Love. Seriously though, do you think that bringing Ginny into this would benefit us in the long run? She's pretty powerful when she gets going." He thought about it for a moment, having spent the last few days observing Ginny, he had realised that she was the best person to compliment him. She was hot tempered and feisty, exactly the type to challenge him constantly, therefore making her ideal to make their trio into a foursome. It would be an unstoppable combination. He looked Hermione deep in the eyes,

"Don't you?" He asked her, she considered her answer, she wasn't sure whether she could condone Ginny leaving Harry, but two things were overwhelming her decision; firstly, she couldn't really be angry if Ginny decided to betray Harry because that would make her the world's biggest hypocrite. Secondly she did not want Blaise to feel neglected, but right now she had too much going on with Draco to give him her full attention, and he was right she didn't love him, not like she loved Draco. Blaise nudged her, "Hermione?" She looked at him, his eyes were glimmering with hope and want for her best friend,

"I do. She won't benefit from being with Harry. He just smothers people, stifles them until they feel used and useless. I won't let that happen to her. She deserves better. Go ahead Blaise, I think that she needs you. Just go slow, don't overwhelm her, after all Harry has only just gone." He grinned widely, and kissed her on the lips,

"Thank you Cara. I know this will work out." Hermione chuckled, he really did care about her friend. She then thought of something, even though she was happy for Blaise, it didn't mean that she was willing to let him go, just yet, she looked at him seductively.

"You know, this doesn't mean that I don't want you. In point of fact..." She straddled his lap and kissed him deeply, he growled at her, saying,

"I don't think that this would be the best way to convince Red that I want to be with her." She smirked, and nipped at his neck, whispering,

"Please, you think she needs convincing? Once you work you're magic she'll be powerless to resist. You can be very persuasive." She tugged his shirt off, kissed him again and then stood up. He frowned, and stood up, pressing his body against hers,

"Cara, you're teasing me again. You know I don't like it." She eyed him coyly, batting her eyelashes,

"Well Blaise Love, she's in my room now, there's no time like the present. We'll talk over the issue of me and you, and our situation when I've told Draco, which I will go and do now. Off you trot now my pet, you're Princess is waiting." She extracted herself from his grasp and went off to find Draco, slamming the door shut as she went. He checked out his appearance in the mirror and then made his way over the staircase, just in time to see Ginny trip down the stairs and fall flat on her face at his feet. He helped her to her feet, she looked like she had been crying. He fixed her with a lusty stare, raised his eyebrow and said,

"Hey Red."


	6. Chapter 16

**Chapter Sixteen**

After leaving the Head's common room, Draco had returned to Slytherin, where he found half of his house abuzz with the news of the Ministry's destruction. Pansy Parkinson sauntered up to him wearing an outfit that left little to the imagination, and kissed him on the cheek. He shivered with disgust, and said to her,

"For Christ's sake Parkinson, go put some clothes on." He ignored every congratulations sent his way and went up to his private room. Even after his 'shower' with Hermione earlier, he still felt dirty, being in Voldemort's presence always did that to him. Throwing off his clothes, he took a hot shower in his en-suite, and then put on some clean clothes. He was having lunch with Hermione later so he made himself look somewhat presentable. The argument with her earlier had made him extremely edgy, especially because she had told him that she loved him. He poured himself a large glass of fire whiskey, needing the alcohol to clear his head. The War was starting, and Hermione loving him put her in greater danger then ever, Draco didn't think that he could fend off Voldemort's relentless probing of his mind forever. Draco still wasn't fully trusted by Voldemort, but he knew that the Dark Lord could sense the level of his power and Draco believed that it frightened him. A knock at the door knocked his train of thought, he waved his hand at the door which opened, revealing a petrified first year, Draco glared daggers at the kid and yelled,

"What the fuck are you doing knocking at MY door?" He lobbed the glass at the kid and said, "Piss off!" The first year looked positively terrified, the glass had broken just above his head, but he stood his ground, stuttering,

"Er, Mr. Malfoy, Sir, th-th-there's a g-g-g-girl at the door for you. She says it about Mr. Zabini. I t-t-think its the Head Girl." Draco stormed past the first year knocking him to the ground, saying as he passed, "Clean this mess up," gesturing to the broken glass on the floor. This was just what he needed, Hermione practically walking into the snake pit and placing herself in unnecessary danger. He sprinted down the stairs and out the door. Hermione was waiting for him, looking radiant despite the atrocious lighting in the dungeon. She had a suspiciously smug look on her face, however there were a few Slytherins hovering in the corridor, clearly wondering what the hell she was doing there, so Draco fixed an annoyed expression and said in a violently aggressive tone,

"What the fuck do you want Granger!" She scowled,

"Zabini has buggered off somewhere and McGongall made me come get you, apparently you skipped out on some transfiguration homework and she wants me to force you to do it." Inwardly Draco was laughing, Hermione's lie was very convincing, and the fact that her voice was dripping with disdain capped it off, he replied with a tone laced with sarcasm,

"Oh Granger, it's so nice of you to take time out of you're busy, Weasel shagging schedule to help me out. No, really, you shouldn't have," she crossed her arms and started to walk off, then looked over her shoulder and said,

"Well? Are you coming?" He shrugged and followed behind her, all the other Slytherins scattered out of the way, there was something about the interaction that alarmed them. Though their Head Girl was a Mudblood, they knew she wasn't to be trifled with, she had after all just put their revered Prince in his place. Draco followed her into an empty classroom, where she stopped and turned to him, eyes blazing, the classic Malfoy style smirk plastered on her face, he chuckled,

"You really are perfecting the act of bullshitting everyone around you Love! That was a very convincing lie, you almost had me going." She smiled and wrapped her arms around him, kissing him full on, tangling her fingers in the silky strands of his hair. He responded by sliding his hands down her body, resting on her arse, she pressed herself closer, feeling him against her thigh. He backed her against the wall, never breaking contact, she, however shoved him away, he made noises of protest, and retaliated by attacking her neck with his lips,

"DRACO!" She shouted, he pulled away pouting, "Don't make that face at me, I have something important to tell you." He pulled her down to the floor, and they both sat leaning against the wall, hands interwined.

"So, what is it that is so important that you just HAVE to tell me, leaving me unsatisfied, not being able to shag you against this wall," he grinned wickedly at her, she smacked his arm playfully.

"Listen! After you left this morning, Blaise and I had a little chat about Ginny. Blaise is feeling kind of left out. I guess we got so wrapped up in each other we kind of neglected him. Anyway, he feels that he deserves someone too, Ginny would complement him really well. He really likes her, and I know she likes him, and she would be an asset to us. But I told him we'd have to discuss it with you first." He looked a little bit angry, but then considered it. Blaise had been a right whiny little bint recently, and the little Red Headed Weasley would be good for him. Besides it would completely screw the fuck out of Potter. He looked at her, she was biting her bottom lip, looking at him pleadingly,

"Would she be in it for the long run, or would she piss up and bugger off back to Pothead at the first sign of trouble?" Hermione shook her head,

"Harry can't provide for her like we can. She's a passionate person and Harry is boring as arse. She can be pretty powerful when she puts her mind to it, I think it would help us in the end. Besides," she leaned up and nibbled at his ear, whispering low and lustily, "Don't you think it would be, hmmm, intriguing?" He looked confused,

"How so Love?" She slipped her hand in-between his legs, grinning at him,

"Intriguing in that we could, hem hem, watch?" He looked at her utterly surprised, laughing,

"Christ Granger!" She looked hurt, pulling her hand away, he stopped laughing and pounced on her, pinning her to the ground, sliding his hand up her little denim skirt, grinning seductively, "Why not?" He purred, smiling she covered his lips with hers.

She was frozen on the spot, looking up into dark brown eyes, so deep she feared she may fall into them and never find her way out. He was staring at her with the same adoration that she saw in her dream, the same adoration that she couldn't resist. She smiled and mumbled thanks, trying to pass him, to get the hell out of there before she did something stupid. But Blaise was to fast for her, he blocked her path, smirking evilly. Adamant as she was to be as far away as possible from him, she was starting to become a little bit pissed off. Blaise could see the fire sparking behind Ginny's eyes, he was getting under her skin and it thrilled him. She tried once more to pass him, but he again blocked her, this kicked it off. She shoved him in the centre of his chest with more strength then he had expected, he stumbled backwards, she yelled at him,

"Get the fuck out of my way Zabini! And stop bloody staring at me!" She walked towards the door, before she reached it, he had caught up with her and grabbed her arm, backing her into the wall, she protested violently, smacking him round the head a couple of times, screaming and shouting, "What the fuck! Get off me!" He trapped her between him and the wall, both hands on either side of her head. The fire in her eyes raged on, challenging him with every glare, daring him to act. He ran his finger down the side of her face, causing a chill to race down her spine, his touch relaxed her and the fire began to extinguish. The air around them crackled with energy, sparks flying back and forth, she calmed, and said with complete conviction, fixing him with a hardened stare, not conveying any emotion whatsoever, "What now Zabini? You know I won't come to you willingly. I belong to Harry and I love him. No fucking Slytherin Death Eater is gonna change that." She hoped he'd back off, but her mind was screaming at her, screaming that she wanted him close, and he was so close, she could see the flecks of indigo adorning his irises. He leaned in, his low seductive voice caressing her senses, she felt his hot breath next to her skin,

"I don't expect you to come willingly. I expect you to come screaming my name, begging me for more." Her eyes had dropped close, her head was rocked back, every one of her nerve endings were buzzing. He tipped her head back towards him, kissing her softly, invading her mouth with his tongue, she moaned in response, wanting more, needing more. But he refused to give it to her, yet. Drawing back, he whispered in her ear, "You've got a taste now baby, you're gonna crave me. I'll be waiting." With that he left her, standing breathless, her senses were ringing and it took her a while to calm herself enough to move. She had no idea how she made it back to the Gryffindor common room, but later that afternoon she found herself sitting in the armchair, staring into the fireplace, the sparks enthralling her, as the memory of Blaise's kiss danced within her memory.

Later that evening, Hermione and Draco were curled up together in her bed, their fight from that morning a distant memory. Draco watched her sleep, she looked so content, but he knew better. If her dreams were as bad as his he knew that she would be suffering. His dreams of their future were full of despair, darkness and he could see it slowly destroying her. She began to toss and turn, he stroked her back, calming her.

**They dragged her in front of him. She could see blood glistening on his robe, his wand was twirling between his long fingers. The Dark Lord, his snakelike features shining in the moonlight streaking through the windows. They had tried to break her, but her resolve was strong. She vowed that they would never break her, what ever they did. Voldemort rose from his throne and swept towards her, cupping her cheek in his bony hand, his voice almost a hiss,**

**"What to do Miss. Granger, it appears that my Death Eaters have tried everything, but you have refused to offer up any information," She shuddered at his touch, defiance resonating through her, glaring back at him through darkened eyes, **

**"What can I say, I guess I have a higher pain threshold then most of these cowards around here. They squeal at the first fucking pin prick." He backhanded her, splitting her lip. She smirked, spitting blood and saliva in his face. The Dark Lord did not flinch, instead he wiped his face clean, and smiled evilly. Wiping the blood from her chin with the corner of his robe, he said,**

**"Don't worry Mudblood, I have one last trick up my sleeve," to the Death Eaters at the back of the room he called, "Bring him out!" She expected to see messy red hair, or emerald eyes staring back at her, but upon seeing the man thrown at her feet, she began to feel violently sick. Platinum blond hair streaked with blood, dirty pale skin, a pair of beautiful grey eyes stared up at her, haunted and empty. Her heart wrenched, tears filling her eyes. Draco. The Dark Lord came up behind her, grabbing her hair forcing her to look at her lover. He leant down and whispered in her ear,**

**"Delicious isn't it? The key to breaking you completely lies with this traitorous piece of filth. I win in both respects. Tell me Hermione, tell me where Potter is and I'll let him live." Draco spluttered and coughed up blood, he managed a low chuckle,**

**"She'll never break, not even if you kill me. I taught her that much." She looked down on him, the man she loved, arrogant as always. Voldemort raised his wand, aiming it at Draco's heart, **

**"WAIT!" She screamed, "He's staying in Diagon Alley." The Dark Lord smiled maliciously, and said,**

**"Liar." The flash of green light. She screamed his name. Falling to the ground, tears staining the floor. Broken. **

She awoke screaming, he pulled her into his arms, tears were freely flowing down her face, he said,

"Hermione! Look at me." Her screaming ceased, "What was it this time Angel?" She was shaking violently,

"He killed you, right in front of me. He killed you and he made me watch. I couldn't...there was nothing I could do." He hugged her tighter, never wanting to let her go,

"It was just a dream, it wasn't real. I'll never let him touch you, he'd be dead before he could even move." She looked up at him, her eyes wide and fearful,

"It felt so real Draco, like it was happening. What if..like our other dreams? What if it happens? I can't, I can't lose you, not like that." He caressed her cheek,

"I am not going anywhere, I'll be careful, I promise." She snuggled up to him, his words reassuring her, but the feeling in her gut refused to budge and she clung to him, until sleep once again claimed her. He sat watch over her all night, he wouldn't allow anything to happen to her, and he would kill anyone who got in his way.


	7. Chapter 17

**Chapter Seventeen**

Breakfast the next morning was quiet, the implications of the attack on the Ministry sinking in. Hermione sat with the rest of the seventh year Gryffindors, along with Ginny. Two empty chairs were left, they hadn't heard from Harry and Ron, she could only assume that the lines of communication were shaky or that they were too busy. As it was Sunday, her and Ginny planned on heading to the library to research, anything that would help the boys in their mission. Both girls, however, had other things on their minds. Hermione's dream was plaguing her, the image of Draco, beautiful and broken thrown at her feet kept replaying in her mind every moment. Every time she looked at him, she wanted to throw everything away and flee with him, to somewhere where neither would be found, but their roles in the war were to important. Ginny couldn't get Blaise out of her mind, the small taste he had allowed her was slowly wearing her down, driving her towards him, without Harry to keep her grounded she knew it would not be long until she succumbed to the inevitable. They were both broken from their train of thought by McGonagall asking them to report to her office later that day, Hermione and Ginny exchanged a worried look, and decided to head to the library to talk about it. Ginny had also decided to replay Blaise's actions to Hermione, maybe the Head Girl could talk some sense into her, after all Hermione was the most loyal person she knew.

Across the Hall, Draco was surveying the rest of the school. Most of the students were talking in hushed whispers, some were pointing and staring at members of Slytherin. Those who had lost family members in the attack were gone, Hogwarts' numbers were slowly depleting, people were afraid. It was carnage, just as Voldemort had planned. The Gryffindors were the worst, they looked defeated, the lose of their two heroes marring there confidence. Hermione looked distant, he had no doubt in his mind that she was re-living her dream from last night over and over. The look on her face broke his heart, and he vowed to make Voldemort pay, even it that meant helping Harry Potter destroy him. He turned to Blaise and said,

"Meet me in the library in half an hour, we got work to do." The Italian nodded, Draco upped and left the Great Hall heading for his dormitory. Unbeknownst to most, there were in fact two versions of Hogwarts: A History, the regular edition, written by Godric Gryffindor, and a second written by his nemesis, Salazar Slytherin. This unorthodox version held secrets only known to the founders of Hogwarts, secrets that they had not wished be unleashed on the world. However, when Slytherin had left the castle after his altercation with Gryffindor, he had betrayed those secrets to paper, only four copies were ever made, two were destroyed, one was trapped, forever buried within the Chamber of Secrets. The final copy was in Draco's possession, his Father had managed to procure it, presumably to hand to the Dark Lord, but Lucius was incarcerated before he had had the chance. Draco had extracted the book from the Manor's vast library in his sixth year, in the hope that it may have provided some aid to him in his task, fat lot of good that was. He had cast the book aside as useless, but now he was sure that the book may provide some help. Ever since his mind trip into Potter's head (what a hideous experience that had been), he had been thinking of possible items Voldemort used for his Horcruxes. The book may offer some clue. Rummaging through his trunk he found the book stashed right at the bottom. Snatching it up, he flicked through it and said to himself,

"Bingo." With that he headed out the door to meet Blaise.

Ginny had gone to the bathroom so Hermione was left in the library, she had scoured the shelves for every possible volume relating to the Hogwarts founders, and was now sat surrounded by mountains of books. She delved deep into the pages, making note of anything that struck her as important, she was so engrossed in her task that she did not notice the dark haired boy sneak up behind her. He planted feather light kisses down her neck, making her jump. She turned around to find Blaise smirking at her,

"BLAISE! You frightened the life out of me!" He laughed,

"What you doing Cara?" She smiled a little, she hated lying to people, especially Blaise and Draco, but she had sworn an oath to Harry to keep Voldemorts Horcruxes a secret, so she lied,

"Erm, extra work, Head Girl stuff, McGonagall asked me." He didn't believe her, but he sighed,

"Alright Cara, keep your secrets. Although, you know I could torture it out of you." He sat down in the seat next to her, pulling her closer, she laughed,

"Behave yourself, Ginny will be back like any second. And I know you wouldn't want her to see anything that may ruin your chances." He just smiled,

"Fine then, spoil my fun." She went back to her books, he lounged backwards in the chair, whistling inanely, she turned to him, and said with annoyance in her tone,

"What are you doing here anyway?" He shrugged his shoulders,

"Dunno, Draco told me to meet him here. He seemed all determined about something or other." Hermione frowned, with those two here as well the chances of her and Ginny getting anything done were slim. Blaise undoubtedly would be teasing Ginny no end, wearing her down until she gave in, and Draco would fix her with that glare that would make her squirm in her seat, making her want him to take her on top of the desk. A noise behind her made her look up, Ginny, having seen Blaise sat next to Hermione had walked into a chair, banging her leg. Hermione sprang up and said,

"Ginny, are you alright?" Blaise laughed, Hermione gave him a look and he threw his hands up as if to say "What?" Ginny was rubbing her leg, totally thrown out by Blaise's presence. A voice rang out through the stacks, followed by Draco looking throughly annoyed,

"Blaise, stop fucking around, leave them alone." Hermione led Ginny to sit down, giving her blond lover a thankful wink. He nodded, and grabbed Blaise by the shoulder yanking him to the other side of the library. Ginny looked around at the huge pile of books on the table in front of her, Hermione was furiously jotting down notes, she snapped her fingers in front of her face, breaking her concentration,

"Hermione, what's the what? What are we looking for?" Hermione handed her a book, a pen and a piece of parchment,

"Look through the book, note down anything you find about anything to do with items belonging to the Hogwarts four. Possessions, houses, etc. Harry needs us to find anything that will help him and Ron." Ginny got to work.

"Draco, what the fuck are we doing in the library, on a Sunday, looking through old, dusty books?" Draco shot him an annoyed look, then remembered that he hadn't actually relayed to Blaise what he had discovered. He looked over his shoulder, the library was empty, save for Hermione and Ginny, Draco lowered his voice and said,

"I ran into Potter just as he was about to leave the other morning, we had, lets call it a conversation. Anyway, I did a little mind invasion on him, idiot never bothered to learn Occlumency, and I found out the key to putting Voldemort in the bloody ground." Blaise's head snapped up, his interest sparked, he looked intrigued,

"So Potter knows how to destroy Voldemort and he's done bugger all to go through with it?" Draco chuckled,

"If it was that bloody simple I would have done it already. Tom Riddle, the little half-blood wanker who became our illustrious Dark Lord created six Horcruxes. Six pieces of his soul, destroy them and Voldemort is nothing more then a man." Blaise was confused,

"Horcruxes? I thought they were just theoretical?" Draco shook his head,

"Apparently not. The information I gleaned from Potter's head told me that two Horcruxes have been destroyed. A diary that Riddle used at Hogwarts, and a ring. He and Dumbledore went to destroy a third, but it was a fake." Blaise raised a hand, interrupting him,

"Hang on, how do we know what items Voldemort used? There's a million and one things that he could use. I mean from what it looks like, Hermione and Ginny are also researching something or other, and our little lioness was pretty tight lipped about what they were up to." Draco looked triumphant, producing his 'alternative' version of the school's history book,

"The items are things that mean something to the Dark Lord. The ring belonged to his ancestors, the diary chronicled his time here. The fake was a locket, the real thing belonged to Slytherin himself. Potter thinks that the others are also items belonging to the founders." Blaise stood up and paced the floor, his brow furrowed in deep thought,

"So, something of Hufflepuff's, Ravenclaw's and goody two shoes Gryffindor. I assume you're thinking is that this alternate version of 'Hogwarts: A History' may help identifying the items and locating them?" Draco smiled slyly,

"Exactly." He opened the book to the first page and started reading, Blaise sat by, noting down anything of use.

By the end of the day Hermione and Ginny were exhausted and no more informed about possible Horcruxes then before, the entire day had been a fat waste of time. They had collapsed in the Head's common room completely disheartened. Their meeting with McGonagall was a bust to, although the Headmistress had told them that Harry and Ron were alright, and requested that they continued their research. In all the 'excitement' Ginny still hadn't told Hermione about her encounter with Blaise, the news of Harry and Ron taking priority. However it was weighing so heavy on her mind that if she didn't tell someone soon she felt her head may explode, she turned to her friend,

"Hermione? I need to tell you something." Hermione looked up intrigued, she had been interested to know why Ginny had been on edge all day, and had practically turned to jelly when she had seen Blaise. She made a concerned face,

"Sure Ginny, what's up?" Ginny looked around checking that the Head Boy wasn't loitering in the shadows somewhere, and then proceeded to tell Hermione of her encounter. Hermione listened intently, her reaction remaining impassive, however, inside she was rejoicing, Blaise had totally got under Ginny's skin and her friend was actually considering throwing caution to the wind by entering into a relationship with the Slytherin. Hermione smiled inwardly, her Italian lover would be thrilled. Ginny finished her story and looked to the Head Girl for some form of comforting words, Hermione coughed, and bullshitted her way through every pro and con she could think of, the pros heavily outweighing the cons. Ginny looked a little taken aback, she had thought that Hermione would have yelled at her for being so stupid, telling her to forget all about Zabini and concentrate on helping Harry, but she seemed to be encouraging her slightly. Ginny was confused,

"Hermione, what's with you? You're practically telling me to go shag Blaise Zabini, Prince of Slytherin and Death Eater to boot! There's something going on isn't there?" Hermione couldn't help herself, she felt guilty,

"I...I...no of course not!" Ginny flared up,

"I don't believe you! First you're tearing strips out of him, then he's calling you weird names! Now you're pushing me towards him, have you lost your mind! What about Harry and Ron!" Hermione's anger was rising, here she stood listening to this crap, she didn't understand. Hermione snapped,

"Shut up! You have no idea do you? Harry worships the ground you walk on, I have saved that boy's life more times then I can count and yet all I get is 'Oh, maybe not Hermione, you'll get hurt. We'll protect you Hermione, you're to pathetic to look after yourself.' Well I'm tired of them treating me like an imbecile. At least I get treated like I'm worth something when..." Hermione stopped talking. Ginny leapt up from the sofa,

"When what, Hermione?" Hermione faced her, eyes dark,

"Forget it Ginny, do what you want. But don't come crying to me when Harry starts treating you like shit!" Ginny glared at Hermione like she didn't know her, she was acting, well she was acting like a Slytherin, and Ginny knew that she had been on the verge on admitting why she was all different recently. Ginny got right up in Hermione's face.

"You're different Hermione and something's made you change. I don't know if I like it." Hermione laughed out loud, smirking,

"Oh I'm sorry Princess! Sorry that my new attitude to those two utter idiots pisses you off. Yeah I've changed, I've realised that I don't need them to coddle me anymore, I can hold my own." Ginny scoffed,

"God Hermione, don't you realise how selfish you sound! What's gotten into you?" A voice emulated from the darkness of the stairwell, a deep drawling tone, Hermione and Ginny's heads whipped around, Hermione smiled sweetly, he grinned wickedly,

"That'd be me, Sweetheart." Another voice rang out, indigo eyes shone,

"And me too."

Draco and Blaise's time had been well spent. The book had provided them with vital information ascertaining to Voldemort's Horcruxes. They made the decision to talk to Hermione that night, feeling that Potter would probably listen to her more then them. They left the library before Hermione and Ginny, heading back to Blaise's room, ensuring to take their notes and the book with them. Draco poured a glass of fire whiskey, thinking over their discovery. Blaise was smoking out the window, thinking about Ginny, she looked so cute today when she banged her leg. It made him want her more. He chuckled. Draco looked over at him, he had a stupid smile plastered on his face, Draco scowled,

"What's got you so happy?" Blaise smirked, he hadn't told Draco about the other day,

"The little Weaselette. She is totally smitten with me, and I don't think it will be too much longer until she give's in." Draco laughed,

"Her resolve isn't much then? Its been what a day and a half since Potter left? She must've wanted you for a while beforehand!" Draco poured Blaise a drink and handed it to him, "So what's the next move?" Blaise smirked,

"Wait until she comes to me. Inevitability, its undeniable." Both turned at the sound of shouting, Ginny, yelling at Hermione, Draco was out the door in an instant, Blaise on his heels. The blond came to a halt before he hit the bottom, Blaise almost slammed into him. They listened intently, Hermione was now shouting at Ginny, Draco could feel her anger running through his veins. Blaise felt Ginny's, and Hermione's, it was an intoxicating cocktail. He looked at his friend, the blond's eyes had turned a dark, stormy grey. From what they could hear, Hermione had almost divulged their secret, and they both knew that Ginny was no idiot, she would figure it out. Draco looked at Blaise,

"What now Genius?" Blaise thought hard, the only way to rectify this situation was to come clean, make this threesome, a foursome. Draco was thinking along the same lines, "Time for plan B?" Blaise nodded,

"We bring her to us." Draco nodded his head in silent agreement, stepping to the bottom of the stairs. From his vantage point he could see Hermione and Ginny, Hermione's power was screaming out at him, he waited for the exact right moment. Ginny was screaming at Hermione,

"God Hermione, don't you realise how selfish you sound! What's gotten into you?" Exact right moment, he stepped forward out of the shadow,

"That'd be me, Sweetheart," he drawled, their head's spun in his direction. Hermione smiled sweetly at him, he shot her his wickedest smile. Blaise stepped beside him, smirking,

"And me too."


	8. Chapter 18

ChapterEighteen

Ginny's jaw dropped, she couldn't believe what she was hearing or seeing. Hermione had literally stalked over to Draco Malfoy and kissed him furiously, then they both turned back to her and had fixed her with the same smirk. Ginny wanted to run, to get out of the Head's room, away from her, but Blaise blocked her path. Her disbelief turned to anger, Hermione had betrayed everyone, Harry, Ron, those people who died at the Ministry. Ginny was seething, never before had she felt this much anger towards a person before,

"How could you Hermione! With him? He's a Death Eater! He almost killed Dumbledore. You've betrayed everyone, those people died in the Ministry, and you had the knowledge to stop them and you didn't! You're worse then them." To her surprise, neither Hermione or Malfoy reacted. They just stared at her, Blaise was close behind her, so close he made her jump. Hermione and Draco were smiling at each other, Hermione extracted herself from his arms and walked to her friend,

"You'll never understand this until you try this Ginny. I betrayed no-one, I had no idea of the attack on the Ministry until after it happened, I swear. You don't know what its like, every one hero worships Ron and Harry, and I'm just the 'clever muggleborn' in the background. Ron doesn't love me, he loves the idea of me, he has no clue who I am. Draco makes me feel like I can bring this world to its knees, and we fully intend to." Ginny was mad,

"So what Hermione! You've shacked up with Malfoy of all people, he thinks that muggleborns are the shit of the earth. What makes you so sure that he's telling the truth, huh? He gives you a few free feels and suddenly he loves you? He's just using you! You're no better then that whore Parkinson." Draco wouldn't stand for that, he flicked his wrist, slamming Ginny into a wall,

"Watch your mouth Weaselette. You have no comprehension of what this is." She was shocked, Draco was growling menacingly at her. Hermione spoke again,

"Come on Ginny, you know you've thought of it. You told me so yourself, you want Blaise, I could see it in your eyes. He can save you from the fantasy world that Potter has created for you, the one that makes you believe that you're worth something. He can give you the power." Ginny spat in Hermione's face,

"I don't even want to look at you bitch. You think that Harry doesn't appreciate you, you are all he ever talks about. He loves you, so does Ron, and you betray them. Well let me tell you this, once they find out you're a traitor, I'll be the centre of THEIR world and you'll just be a cowardly Death Eater's skank." Draco laughed out loud, closing in on her,

"You'd do best to think seriously about this little Ginny. Hermione is right, as long as you stay with those idiots, the more they'll suffocate you, and that my dear will lead to your untimely demise. Do you really want to die without knowing what its like to be in control, to have the power?"

"Fuck you, Malfoy." She spat back, glancing briefly at the Italian Slytherin. Blaise was keeping watch over the situation, his eyes constantly on her. Where did he fit into this? He seemed to be on the outside of the relationship, but also she sensed that he was as deeply involved as the other two. Draco was leering menacingly at her, looking as though he was about to hit her, so Blaise intervened,

"That's enough Draco. She obviously doesn't want to understand. Although I can feel her desire to, she wants to know what its like," he began advancing on her, Ginny was still backed against the wall, her breathing laboured, "..to feel the power. She's dreamt of it, she's dreamt of me, us." He was now directly in front of her, she could feel his warm breath, it made her skin tingle. He spoke softly in her ear, "I know that it's me that makes you feel it, Red. I can give you everything you want, I can be your escape from Potter and his weak willed desires. He can't give you what you need. Join us, you know you want it." Hermione smiled, Blaise was working his magic, Draco wrapped his arm round her and they stood watching the scene unfold. The red head's eyes filled with tears, Blaise continued, "Tell me baby, tell me what you want." Ginny looked into his eyes, his dark, seductive eyes, through tears she choked,

"I want to be free. He left me, he left me here to pine away for him and he expects me to wait for him. He didn't trust me enough to take me with him and I hate him for it. You're right, I did dream of you, and them," she gestured to Draco and Hermione, "I felt everything you are offering me. It was wonderful. I felt you inside me, and the power you gave me was intoxicating. I want that power, I want you, Blaise." He smiled, looking over his shoulder, the blond and his lover looked triumphant,

"You have no idea how long I have waited for you to say that to me, Red." Leaning forward he captured her lips in a passionate kiss.

Ginny was reeling, never before had she felt this alive. Blaise knew exactly what she wanted, exactly where to touch, his hands were roaming all over, lingering in her most sensitive spots. After their heated embrace in the common room, Blaise had swept Ginny into his arms and carried her up the stairs to his room. Now she was spread out on the bed, her clothes discarded, thrown across the room. Blaise was exploring every part of her, his tongue and his hands caressing every inch of her skin. She felt like a Goddess, pleasure was sweeping over her in waves, emanating from the one place he had not been yet. He was saving the best for last, she began whimpering, he grinned evilly at her, saying,

"Something wrong, Red?" Desire sparkled in his dark eyes, she peered down at him, drank in the sight of him adoring her. Harry worshipped the ground she walked on but never had he made her feel like this. Blaise noticed that she wasn't exactly paying attention, so he ran his hand up her leg, and slowly dipped his finger into her. She gasped, snapping back to the here and now, he smirked, "That got your attention Lover." Another finger joined the other, torturing her. She was falling apart beneath him, and he relished it. He moved off of her to remove his trousers and boxers, her eyes shot open at the loss of contact. He smiled at her, then positioned himself to enter her, with one quick motion he thrust into her. Like a reflex her legs wrapped around his body, pulling him closer, deeper into her. He moved slowly, almost languidly on top of her, drawing out her pleasure, waiting for her to beg, which she did willingly, urgently whispering in his ear,

"Please Blaise. God please." He smirked, then thrust faster, and faster, until she was screaming out his name and bucking her hips into him with her release. He followed soon after, collapsing to the side of her. She was still trying to catch her breath when he started the whole process over again. Fortunately for them both, Blaise had enough self-control to draw it out for longer and longer each time, sending Ginny into a cataclysmic state, from which she wouldn't wake until late the next afternoon.

Meanwhile, Draco and Hermione were indulging in a little fun of their own, a celebration of their triumph. As she lay in his arms, exhausted from his boundless amounts of energy, she pondered what the future now held for them. The four of them would have unrivaled power, even Voldemort himself would cower before them. It gave her hope, that when the time came he would not have to leave her and they could be together forever. His thoughts were more realistic, even with the addition of the Weasley girl, he knew that eventually, for her own safety, he would have to leave Hermione. She looked up into his eyes, sensing his worry,

"Draco, what is it? You look troubled baby." He looked down at her, drawing her closer to him, taking comfort in the warmth she gave his soul. He couldn't break her happiness through, he couldn't destroy her hope.

"Nothing Love, its nothing." She knew that he had lied to her, but for now she left it, for now she just wanted to fall asleep in the arms of the man she loved.


	9. Chapter 19

**Chapter Nineteen**

The next two weeks passed in a whirlwind, Hermione, Draco and Blaise were buried under a mountain of work. The School Governors having decided that Hogwarts would close come April; the seventh years would take their N.E.W.T.S two months early, so their Professors had upped the amount of work to compensate for the loss of weeks of preparation. This meant that Blaise hardly had time for Ginny, not that she minded, considering what little time he did have with her was spent in his bed. Ginny had experienced more in two weeks then most woman did in their lives. Blaise had surpassed his reputation, and she was falling deeper and deeper for him every second. Hermione was still worried about Draco, he had almost stopped talking to her altogether, and she could see his troubles every time she looked in his eyes. He was still utterly devoted to her, but he felt that every moment he was with her, the more danger he was putting her in. It was beginning to eat away at him, and he began to withdraw into himself, using every free hour he had researching Horcruxes. He did not request help from Blaise, he had his own shit to deal with right now. His endless researching was not in vain, he had discovered tidbits of information, that if pieced together correctly would may provide some clue to the whereabouts of the final four Horcruxes. Unfortunately he needed the help of the one person he had no clue where he was. Potter. Fortunately, an opportunity was about to present itself to him, an opportunity he had to take advantage of. Even though it may endanger the life of his girlfriend. Pacing back and forth in his private rooms, he pondered the best way to inform Golden Boy about his discovery, sitting at his desk, he pulled out a parchment and a quill and began to write. An hour later he had constructed a letter, informing Potter of the details of his discovery and suggesting a meet; folding it, he addressed the front in his neat script. He was pouring himself a drink when a knock on his door distracted him. Pulling it open he found Hermione standing on the threshold.

Hermione and Ginny were reclining in the Heads Common Room, taking a well earned break from their studies and their rather persistent boyfriends. Ginny still had no idea of Blaise's true involvement with Hermione and Draco and the trio were keen to keep it that way for now. Ginny was talking to Hermione about something or other Blaise had done, when there was a short cough from the portrait by the door followed by a request,

"Headmistress McGonagall requires the presence of Miss. Granger and Miss. Weasley in her office as soon as possible." The two girls looked at each other, there was only one possible reason for McGonagall wanting to see them both, news from Harry and Ron. Both felt the sharp pang of guilt as they made their way to the Heads office. Upon entering they found McGonagall sat behind her desk, a letter in her hand and a grave look on her face. Hermione's mind went into immediate overdrive, it had to be Harry and Ron, they had been injured or worse, she couldn't stop herself, tears began to form in her eyes. Ginny beside her was silent, but all the colour had drained from her face. A movement by the fireplace caught their attention, red-hair, followed by freckles and gleaming blue eyes. Hermione's heart pounded with guilt,

"RON!" screeched Ginny, flinging herself into her brothers arms. His eyes sparkled with happiness, but behind them was a hollowness, whatever had happened in the past two weeks had changed him. Ginny released herself, Hermione stepped forward and leant into her 'boyfriend's' embrace. He hugged her to him like he would never let her go. He looked down at her, kissing her gently on the lips,

"Hey girl. I missed you." She smiled warily, lying through her teeth she said,

"I missed you to. What happened? Where've you been? Where's Harry?" Too many questions came tumbling out of her mouth, before Ron could answer, McGonagall cleared her throat and motioned for the two girls to sit. Ron watched wearily from his place by the fire. The Headmistress handed Ginny a letter, it was in Harry's handwriting. She then began to speak,

"I am sorry that this news does not come direct from Harry. He sends his apologies to you both, he so wished to come but Remus and myself thought it best that he not, for his safety and for yours." Ginny began to sniffle, and said in a tiny voice,

"He's okay though right? He's okay?" McGonagall nodded,

"Yes, he is in one piece Miss. Weasley. However for him to come out in the open now would endanger his mission. Mr. Weasley, if you would be so kind as to relate to these two the progress you and Harry have made." Ron stepped into the light,

"The attack on the Ministry wasn't random. Voldemort wanted to create maximum chaos, throw the wizarding world into disarray. The Order believes that this was the first in a series of attacks, the beginning of the chain of events if you will. The climax being the Final Battle. But the Dark Lord had an ulterior motive, something within the bowels of the Ministry, the explosion acted as cover-up. It was the cup, Hermione. Helga Hufflepuff's cup. The Ministry acquired it when the Dark Lord fell the first time, Voldemort wanted it back. We believe that Lucius Malfoy and Bellatrix Lestrange retrieved it, and have hidden it. Our sources tell us that Malfoy has it at the Manor. Even though he isn't living there, the chaos allowed him to return and hide it. Harry insisted that I come here, I have a letter from him to Draco Malfoy asking for his help. Harry seemed to think that Malfoy will cooperate." Hermione's almost vomited, if Lucius caught Draco with the cup, that would be it, he would be branded a traitor and destroyed. She couldn't let him.

"Why can't the Order just storm the Manor. They know that Lucius is on the run, the Manor should be open to them." She asked, desperate to keep Draco away from danger. McGonagall shook her head,

"We already tried. It appears that the wards re-activated when he escaped Azkaban, only a Malfoy can pass them. Harry is adamant that Draco will provide the key." Hermione was silent, worry for her blond lover coursing through her veins, her dream from the other night kept replaying in her head. Ginny didn't understand,

"Professor, why is it too dangerous for Harry to be out in the open? I don't get it." Ron answered her, cutting McGonagall off,

"We were following a lead, Snape had been seen way out in the country. We went to investigate, we spotted him. Harry's anger boiled over and he snapped. He and Snape dueled, it was fierce and violent. Neither of them really got anywhere, Harry was too angry and Snape was too cowardly. He got away." McGonagall finished the explanation,

"We have assumed that Snape will have informed the Dark Lord that Harry is out of school. Which means that he will have people on the lookout for him, we felt it best that he stay concealed. Voldemort cannot find out what Harry is looking for." Hermione could understand that, she fought back the lump in her throat, and said in a businesslike tone,

"So, what happens now? Malfoy just cooperates? He'll want something in return, it's what he's like."

"We have thought through all possible options, Miss Granger. Harry has informed me that Dumbledore trusted that Draco would aid him, and Harry himself said that Draco told him he wanted Voldemort gone. So for now, Mr. Malfoy is our only option." Hermione nodded, looked up and said,

"I'll give it to him. The letter. I'll give it to Malfoy. It's probably best if no-one sees Ron talking to Malfoy." Ron started to protest, but the Headmistress put her hand up,

"I think that wise. Ron it is best that you wait here and then return to Harry with Draco's response. Miss. Granger, if you would take this now. The password to the Slytherin Common Room is 'Endgame'." Hermione took the letter from her Head teacher and walked from the office to her lovers dormitory. She walked into the dank, dark of the dungeon and stood outside the door, whispering the password it swung open. Several students were lounged around the cavernous dungeon room, no warmth emanated from the fire that roared in the grate, all in all it felt cold, empty and emotionless. The students swung their gaze to her, disbelieving that a Gryffindor and a Mudblood no less, was striding across the floor towards the staircase that led to their Prince's private suite. Ignoring everyone she strode past, the look in her eyes purposeful, she ascended the staircase to his door. Knocking lightly, she stood waiting for him to answer. The door opened and there he was, a glass of fire-whiskey in his hand, his hair disheveled and a troubled look on his face.

"Hermione?"

"What are you doing here?" He said, somewhat tersely. She shoved him back into his room and kicked the door shut. He grinned wickedly, "Well if that's what you're doing here, who am I to object?" He went to her and bent to kiss her when she pushed him back,

"Draco, I need to talk to you. We haven't got much time." She pulled him to sit on the edge on the bed, he sank down beside her. She took his hands in hers, looked deep into his beautiful grey eyes and said,

"Ron came back. He had a message." She pulled the letter out of her pocket, and handed it to him, "It's for you." He looked at the letter in his hand, then back at her, confusion etched into his face,

"For me?" She nodded,

"Its from Harry. He needs your help. He needs you to..." She trailed off, it was to hard to say, she really didn't want him to go. No matter how much it helped towards defeating Voldemort. He raised an eyebrow, she waved it off, "Just read the letter and then come to McGonagall's office. I'll see you later." She got up to go, but he stopped her.

"Wait for me." He said. She sat back next to him, he opened the letter and begun to read,

_Malfoy,_

_Whatever the hell you're motives are, and whatever the hell I think of you, right now I couldn't give a toss. As much as I hate to admit this, I need your help. You're ass of a Father has something that I need to destroy. Destroying it will bring me a step to finishing Voldemort once and for all. Send you're answer back with Ron. I don't trust you but I can tell that there's something thats happened and that you do want him dead as much as me. I'll write again when I have your answer._

_Potter_

No need for pleasantries then, thought Draco. He looked down at his girlfriend who was waiting patiently for him to finish, rose off the bed, picked up the letter he had written earlier and held his hand out to her,

"Lead the way Granger."

They arrived back at McGonagall's office, Ginny had disappeared, presumably to read Harry's letter, Ron was still stood at the fireplace, looking into the flames. Hermione sat back in front of the desk, Draco loitered by the door. McGonagall looked straight at him and said,

"Well Mr. Malfoy, what have you decided?" He stepped forward, taking the seat next to Hermione, propping his feet up on the desk. He pulled his letter to Harry from his robe, and placed it on the desk in front of McGonagall.

"As long as he gets this, I'll do whatever he wants." With that the blond cast a look at the figure by the fireplace and then swept out of the room. Hermione was confused, Draco had a letter for Harry? What could it say?

"Well," said McGonagall breaking Hermione's thoughts, the Headmistress ran her wand over the letter, checking it for curses, it was clean. "That settles it. Mr. Weasley, please take this letter to Harry and tell him that Mr. Malfoy is willing to cooperate. I will leave you two now, I have some business to attend to." She left them alone in the office. Ron came over to her and gathered her in his arms. She felt wrong in his arms, he wasn't like Draco. There was nothing there between them, but she was too much of a coward to break his heart.

"Its good to see you Mione. I am so sorry I didn't come to say goodbye when I left, but it was early and I didn't want to wake you. I promise you darling, I will see you in the holidays, its only three weeks away. Mum is coming to Grimmauld Place especially to cook Christmas Lunch. She's worried about everyone, its her way of keeping things normal." Hermione chuckled,

"Oh, Ron. Everything will be okay right? We'll get through this?" He couldn't lie to her,

"Honestly, I don't know. Harry is a bit of a mess right now, he's getting slightly obsessed. Which reminds me, I said I'd try not to be too long. I have to get back. I'll meet you and Ginny at the station in three weeks. I'll see you then. I love you, don't forget that." They kissed, she couldn't say it back to him, so she remained silent. He pulled away and flooed back. She wiped her mouth with the back of her hand, then left to find Draco and get him to explain what the hell was going on.


	10. Chapter 20

**Chapter Twenty**

After Hermione had left McGonagall's office, Ginny had made her excuses, said farewell to her brother and retreated to the library to read the letter from Harry. The guilt she felt was overwhelming her. Being with Blaise was the most wonderful feeling in the world, but right now all she could focus on was Harry. Despite her recent affiliation with the Italian Slytherin she still loved Harry more then anything. Sitting herself in a secluded aisle she tore the letter open and read its contents,

_My darling Ginny,_

_I am so sorry I couldn't be there today to see you. I miss you every minute and I'm going crazy not seeing you. I sent this letter with Ron, he promised that he would hand it to you and only you. These words can only be read by your eyes. I love you baby and I want us to be together always. I want to marry you Gin. I've spoken to your parents, and all your brothers. They have all threatened me accordingly, and I have sworn to them that I will protect you and care for you with my life. I can't fight Voldemort without you by my side, and I want you by side as my wife. Will you do me that honour, Ginny Weasley? Don't reply to this, we don't know who is watching. But answer me when you see me at Christmas. When we can be together again. I cannot wait for that day. I love you with all my heart, _

_Yours Forever,_

_Harry James Potter_

Tears began to stream down her face and her gut twisted, she felt physically, violently sick. This was how Blaise found her, hunched over, crying. The tear stained letter had fallen to the ground, he couldn't read it due to Harry's enchantment of the page. He realised who it could have been from though, so he sat down next to her and pulled her to him,

"What is it Red? C'mon baby you can tell me." She looked up at him, her beautiful, strong, Slytherin man, however seeing him there, comforting her, made the guilt feel all the worse. She shoved him away and stood up,

"THIS! This its what's wrong! Us! Every moment I'm with you, is another moment I'm betraying Harry. I can't live like this anymore! He asked me to marry him. He wants to marry me. Which means that we are through. I can't do this anymore. I can't have both of you." Blaise shook his head,

"You don't get to do that. Sorry Love." She smacked him round the face,

"Don't you get it Zabini! I don't love you, I love him. The past two weeks were a mistake. I was angry at him, and you were there. But, this, us, won't ever take us anywhere, its just going to lead to heartache we don't want." He laughed,

"Sorry sweetheart, but you can't lie to save your life. You were angry at him? Angry enough to beg me to take you over and over until you couldn't walk? Angry enough to fuck me against the wall of the Gryffindor common room? Admit it, you've never had it as good as with me! You think that being married to Pothead will curb your taste for me? Dream on." She slapped him again,

"Don't fucking patronise me you stupid Slytherin arse hole. You think that you're that good? You dream on, Harry's ten times the man you are. Never speak to me again. I fucking hate you." She stormed out of the library, leaving him standing watching the space she had just vacated. Rubbing his jaw, he smiled to himself. He wasn't worried, she was angry right now because she felt guilty. Hermione had gone through the same thing, Ginny was just being more vocal about it. However one obstacle did perplex him slightly. Potter and his impromptu proposal, and the only person who could stop that was Ginny herself. He had a little bit of persuading to do, and for that he may need Hermione and Draco's help.

She trailed him to the Head's common room, where he was lounging on the sofa, awaiting her return. She stormed over to him, hands on hips, he rose off the sofa to meet her but she shoved him back down again. Waving her finger in his face, she said,

"You better tell me right now what is going on Draco Malfoy or I swear to God I will hex you into next week!" He merely smiled, which riled her even more, the telltale darkening of her eyes mirroring her anger,

"What's there to tell, that you don't already know Angel?" She was fuming, how could he just be so off hand about it?

"I want to know why you are writing to your worst enemy? And why you're so willing to help, you don't even know what he wants you to do!" Draco laughed again,

"Oh Hermione, do you really think I would go into this blind? I pulled the information out of Weasley's head whilst we were in McGonagalls office. Stupid idiot didn't even realise it. I know they want me to help them infiltrate the Manor, and I know what they're looking for." There was still something that she was burning to know,

"What was in the letter Draco? The one you gave to Harry." At this he became distant, she kept pushing it, "Draco, the letter, what was in it? Don't you dare lie to me." He looked up at her, the look in her eye told him that she was increasingly pissed at him and he feared that this would tip her over the edge,

"I have some information that may prove useful to him. The letter detailed that information and how I wished to meet to discuss. It could be vital to taking Voldemort down. That's it, I promise." Her expression softened, then she asked,

"What information? What do you know Draco?" He got up, and walked to the small kitchen area,

"Like I said, information that'll help him in his task. You have to trust me on this Hermione." She followed him, and wrapped her arms around his back. Whispering in his ear,

"I do trust you Draco. I'm just frightened Baby. If your Father catches you, thats it, and I'll lose you forever." He turned to face her, pulling her into his strong embrace, staring her deep in the eyes, he simply said,

"He won't." She wasn't convinced,

"But what if..." He cut her off by kissing her, long and deep. She leant into him, giving herself away to the moment. His ability to soothe her like that was astounding, he could take away all her worries with one kiss. He thrust his hips gently against her, allowing her to feel him, to feel what she did to him. He kissed down her collarbone, stopping to remove her shirt. He kissed down to the valley between her breasts, thumbing her nipples through the fabric of her bra. She moaned and gripped his head, running her fingers through the silky locks of his blond hair. He continued his descent down her body, pulling down the zip of her skirt and easing it off of her, where it pooled around her ankles. She stepped out of it, toeing her shoes off in the process. He licked and kissed back up her legs, standing up again to kiss her on the lips. Hoisting her up he sat her on the counter. She unbuttoned his shirt and pushed it off his shoulders. Kissing every piece of exposed skin she could reach. Even after the time they had been together his skin always fascinated her, it connected so much to her, warmth, power. It emanated from him in waves, that drove deep into her blood. He pulled his trousers off, casting them aside. She eyed his crotch hungrily, he noticed the glint in her eye and smirked.

"Hungry baby?" She mimicked his smirk,

"Abso-fucking-lutely." He chuckled, and yanked her knickers down off her body, she fingered the waistband of his boxers, easing them over his hips. Smiling naughtily she grasped his cock in her hand, stroking it gently. His head rolled back in ecstasy,

"C'mon Angel, stop teasing me." He moaned, that only egged her on. He stopped her by grabbing her hand. Raising his eyebrow, he snuck his hand in between her legs, probing and stroking. His finger flicked over her most sensitive spot, she shivered. He withdrew his hand and grasped her hips. Dragging her forwards onto him. He made love to her slowly, almost lazily. She growled in frustration, his movements were too slow, she craved for him to screw her hard against the counter. Taking control, she linked her ankles around his backside and pulled in him deeper. His forehead bumped into hers, she whispered huskily,

"Faster, you bastard." Happy to oblige, he increased his rhythm. Just as they were both screaming each others names, having reached their peak, Blaise came bursting through the door muttering angrily to himself in Italian, catching sight of them, he stopped talking and grinned. Finally, something in his day was going right.

The more he thought about the situation, the more angry it made him. He couldn't believe that Ginny would throw everything away just because Potter had made some grand gesture. He was determined not to let her, rambling angrily in Italian he slammed through the portrait door. He fully intended to lock himself in his room and not come out until he had thought of an adequate solution to the problem when something caught his eye. Draco had Hermione propped on the side, her legs were wrapped around his backside, urging him forward. They were both panting, both looked as though they had just pulled each other over the edge. Draco had his forehead resting against Hermione's, both turned to look at him in unison. Blaise grinned, they smirked back. Chuckling appreciatively, the Italian said,

"You two do realise that we have to prepare food on that surface. I hope you plan on cleaning up after yourselves." Laughing, they extracted themselves from each other. Hermione slid off the counter and approached him. She was clad only in her black lacy bra, a light sheen of sweat shone on her skin. Her eyes darkened with lust, having not been with Blaise for two weeks, she was aching for him to touch her. The effect she had on him was still startling, his breath caught in his throat at the Goddess before him. Ginny satisfied him well enough but she would never compare to Hermione. He felt a tightening in his trousers as she got closer to him, the blond leant against the counter, his eyes never leaving Hermione. As she reached Blaise she said,

"What's wrong Love? You seemed angry before." He caressed her cheek, tracing his fingers down her the back of her neck, grasping it, he pulled her forward, engaging her lips in a bruising kiss. After what seemed like forever, they rose for air, gasping. She could feel his anger seeping through her, and boy was he angry and disappointed. She couldn't fathom why, and now wasn't the time to figure it out. She hooked her finger through the belt loop of Blaise's trousers and pulled him forward, kissing him feverishly. She began to pull on his zip, but he halted her actions. She licked her lip and pouted at him, he stepped away from her and motioned to Draco. The blond walked towards the couple and stood in all his glory by Blaise, who leaned in and whispered something in Draco's ear. Both men's faces spilt into identical smirks and they both turned to look at Hermione, who was observing them with a questionable glint in her eye. Blaise winked at her, then without warning hoisted her over his shoulder, and carried her squealing up to his room. Draco followed close behind. Blaise deposited her onto the bed and divested himself of clothing. She tossed her bra off, throwing it at him, she said, "What are you two planning? You both have that look in your eye." He put on his best innocent face and crawled up her body, planting kisses on her skin on the way up; nibbling her ear he replied,

"What looks that Cara? The one that tells you that we both want you right now," he thrust his hips forward, teasing her, Draco came forward and sat on the bed beside them, leaning down to whisper in her ear,

"The one that tells you that we want you between us, screaming our names as we fuck you simultaneously?" She closed her eyes, already relishing the thought, the sensation that they were pulling out of her. Blaise rolled them over so Hermione was straddling his hips. Draco moved behind her, kissing her neck, skimming his hands over her backside. Nipping at her earlobe, he whispered huskily, "What do you think Angel? I'm definitely 'up' for it," he chuckled, low and seductive, "It lies with you Hermione, we won't do it if you aren't comfortable with it." She leaned back into him, and said breathlessly,

"I want you both, do it. Now." Grey eyes met indigo and the two Slytherins got to work. Hermione had never felt so loved in her life, the sensation of two men filling her to the brim drove her wild. They eased into a perfect rhythm like it was made to be like this, coming together in unison. They made love to her all night, alternating between one or both of them; by the time morning came they had all passed out due to exhaustion, wrapped together like perfect pieces of a puzzle. The skies were abnormally blue for a winter's day, the result of their conjoined power manifesting itself, miles away Voldemort was wide awake, the tremors of unstoppable power resonating throughout his domain like an earthquake. For the first time in his unnatural life the Dark Lord cowered in fear.

Draco awoke first, disentangling himself from the mess of sheets and limbs on the bed. He pulled on a pair of Blaise's clean boxer shorts and walked to the window. The grounds of the castle were covered in frost, the winter sun was low and bright. It was the start of something else, something entirely different. He could feel it in the air, it crackled around him. He grabbed up Blaise's cigarettes from the desk and made his way downstairs. He lit up and took a deep drag, whilst putting the coffee pot on, no doubt Blaise would need a strong shot of espresso to clear his head. A faint tapping drew his attention to the balcony window, an owl with a letter was waiting. He frowned, recognising the little runt as Weasley's owl. He let it in, where it flitted around his head wildly; seeker reflexes kicked in and he snatched the damn bird out of the air, pulling the letter from its leg. The bird struggled to free itself, eventually breaking lose from his grasp and flying back out the window. He shut the door with a flick of his hand, stubbing out his cigarette, he opened the letter and read it quickly. Two minutes later he was dressed and out the door. An hour later Hermione came down the stairs, finding the note he left for her on the counter. Written in his neat, italic script were the words,

_I'll be back for you, I promise._

She collapsed to the floor and screamed.

**"Can't you see Angel, its the only way. This is how it has to be." He stroked her cheek, kissed her sweetly, "I'll be back for you, I promise." He turned on his heel and walked away from her, his blond hair gleaming in the cold, garish light. Her grief overwhelmed her and she fell to her knees. She feared for his life, knowing that this could be the last time she ever saw him. In the distance he turned back to look one last time at the woman he loved, before disappearing into thin air. The heavens opened, rain cascading around her turning the world an ugly grey, matching the emptiness he had left in her soul.**

As soon as she awoke she knew something was wrong, the same emptiness she felt in her dream gnawed away at her. The sky outside clouded over, torrents of rain hurled to earth. She turned in the bed, finding only Blaise beside her. Immediately she threw back the cover, snatched up a robe and hurtled down the stairs. Frantically looking round the common room, she spied a note on the counter. Dreading what it said, she approached it cautiously. The neat, black italics were recongisable in an instant, the message filled her heart with dread,

_I'll be back for you. I promise._

Echoes from her dreams swam before her eyes, she collapsed to the ground and screamed in utter despair. Her screams woke him from his sleep, he ran as fast as he could to get to her. Blaise picked her up and carried her to the sofa, placing her gently down. He went to the kitchen and poured her a drink, making her sip the fire-whiskey, calming her. He snatched up the letter discarded by Draco on the floor, it was from Potter. Scanning it quickly, he turned back to Hermione, she had calmed down now, but her eyes were far away, and the look of horror on her face scared him. It seemed as though she was reliving something over and over. He sat down and pulled her onto his lap, rocking her back and forth. She was muttering something inaudible, he shushed her with his lips, then stoked her hair and said in a stern tone,

"Hermione, you can't do this to yourself. Draco will be back. Read the letter baby, they have a plan and it sounds like a good one. He won't be in any danger, he can hold his own." He handed her the crumpled letter, she read it,

_Malfoy,_

_The plan goes ahead today. Meet us in at the Shrieking Shack as soon as you receive this letter. Do not be seen by any of your housemates, and make sure you aren't followed. The success of this is going to rely on your being able to break into Lucius's study. The Order has made arrangements for the re-location of your Mother for the time being, unless you are able to re-set the wards around the house so that Lucius is not permitted to enter. If you fuck this up, I swear that I will destroy you. Concerning the information you offered in your letter, we'll discuss it further once you've helped us. Don't be late._

_Potter_

She read and re-read the letter, absorbing its words. Her best friend and her 'boyfriend' working with their enemy, her lover. She did not trust Harry and Ron to keep Draco from harm, even though he was helping them; but she was convinced that Draco was powerful enough to hold his own even against Harry AND Ron if necessary. However, that did not stop her from worrying about him. Blaise had done his best to calm her but she could not shake the feeling that something, somewhere was going to go wrong and she would never see Draco again. Last night had changed them all, she could feel their conjoined power coursing through her, she could feel Draco and Blaise in her system, it was like a drug. She felt connected to everything, she could feel the earth. The world's axis had shifted, the lines between good and evil blurred for all eternity, and it was all because of them. Blaise had been watching her, thinking things through, figuring out what it was she was feeling right now. He had already realised the change, he realised it the moment he woke, and he believed that it was why Hermione had reacted the way she had when she found Draco's note. He did not fear for the blond, Draco was powerful enough now to destroy anything he touched should he want to, Lucius's power would not match his now. The elder Malfoy had no hold over his son anymore and he knew Draco would see to it that Malfoy Manor remained in the hand's of its true and rightful heir.


	11. Chapter 21

**Chapter Twenty One**

He took a long drag on the cigarette between his lips and exhaled, looking around the disaster zone that was the first floor bedroom of the Shrieking Shack. He stood leaning against the door frame listening to Potter go over the details of the plan again and again. The others in the room, Weasley, Lupin, and that weird pink haired woman, were hanging on his every word, everything Potter was saying was going in one ear and out the other to him. In his mind there was only one way they were going to do this, and that was his way. He just failed to mention it to the others in the room. They were going to wait until night fall to execute, however Draco thought differently, he was eager to get this over and done with,

"There's no point waiting, we're going now." Potter looked daggers at him,

"I didn't ask for your input Malfoy, you don't have a say in how this is run," Draco stubbed his cigarette under his foot, striding over to him, the others begun forward but Harry held up a hand to stop them. Draco said in a dangerous tone, addressing not only Potter but the rest of the room as well,

"There's only one way we're doing this and that's my way. Considering we are 'infiltrating' my home, I tend to think that my way is the best way. Are we all clear?" He didn't exactly give them a chance to answer before continuing on, "You'll wait here for my signal. I'll have to re-set the wards on the house so that you can apparate in. But only Potter and Weasley. No offense meant or anything but if my Mother does happen to catch us it'll be easier to explain their presence. My Father's study is on the ground floor in the east wing. The door is charmed so that no magic can penetrate it, and there's no point even trying to use magic to get through. However there is one thing that I never tried," Potter interrupted and said,

"And what's that Malfoy?" Draco smirked,

"You'll see. As I was saying, I can get through the door. Then its just a matter of finding the cup and destroying it, but I guess thats where your expertise comes in Potter." The sarcasm in his voice was evident, Harry was seething, he was about to knock Malfoy's teeth down his throat when Lupin stopped him,

"There's no point Harry, as much as you dislike it, Draco is our only hope of destroying the cup," he turned to him, "Draco if you would go ahead and do what you must, then send us word, Harry and Ron will then apparate to you." Draco sneered at Harry and was preparing himself to apparate out, when Lupin finished, "Oh, and Draco, I promise you that we will provide the necessary protection for both you and your Mother." The blond grimaced,

"We don't need your fucking help. You may all be quivering in your boots at the prospect of my Father and Voldemort but I'm not. The only reason I am doing this is because it is in my interest to destroy Voldemort. Now if there's nothing else I would like to get this done as quickly as possible. There's someone I have to get back to." As he apparated he realised he shouldn't have said that last part, now Potter would be more suspicious of him. He arrived in the cavernous entrance hall of Malfoy Manor, a house elf immediately appeared at his side,

"Master Draco, Sir, you are back from school early. Can I get you anything Sir?" Without looking at the elf he said,

"Where's my Mother?" The elf bowed low,

"Lady Malfoy is in the rose garden Sir. Would you like me to tell her you is home?" He shook his head,

"No, I will be out to see her later. Make sure I am not disturbed for the rest of the day, I have some people coming over. Now bugger off and leave me alone." He got to work, closing his eyes he muttered the incantations to drop the wards on the house. It took him all of five minutes, he raised his hand and sent the signal. A minute later two figures popped into the entrance hall. Stunned into silence by the sheer size of the place it took the Wonder Idiots a couple of seconds to re-orientate themselves. Draco chuckled as Weasley said,

"Bloody hell," under his breath. Draco brushed passed him saying nastily,

"Soak it in Weasel, because this is the first and last time you'll ever dirty my house. At no point in your life will you ever have anything like this." Ron looked ready to smack Draco into the ground but contained himself saying,

"I don't need anything like this Malfoy. Unlike you I have friends who actually like me. I have someone who loves me more then you'll experience ever. I have Hermione." The sheer irony of it almost made Draco laugh out loud, however the thought of that Weasel even being near Hermione was enough to make him want to murder someone. Draco growled under his breath,

"You sure about that one Weasley?" He turned away from them and strode down the darkened corridor to the east wing, they looked at each other then followed.

Hermione was curled up on the sofa, her third glass of fire whiskey almost empty, Blaise had disappeared into the bathroom. In an ideal world Draco would not have had to leave her, and they would be able to be together forever in view of the world. Some days when she was alone she would daydream of a delusional future where her and Draco were together; where they had married and lived in bliss at Malfoy Manor. The whole world revered them, Draco was the richest man in the country and she wanted for nothing. Then something would always happen to shatter the illusion, today it was Harry's letter. Tomorrow it would be something else. She felt like calling time on it all together, she ached with the effort they had to make to stay together; but he had promised her he would find a way, until then she would have to settle for not knowing what was ahead. The portrait door creaked opened, she bolted upright saying,

"Draco?" But it was Ginny, tentatively peaking around the room, walking more boldly when she found the coast clear. Hermione lay back down and said drunkenly, "Blaise is in the shower." She waved her hand in the direction of the bathroom. Ginny did not move toward the stairs, instead she came and stood next to her friend,

"Hermione? Are you drunk?" Hermione laughed and looked at the glass in her hand,

"Yes, yes I am. Now run along Red, Blaise is probably jacking off waiting for you." Ginny looked shocked at the state of her, she took the glass from her hand and put it on the side in the kitchen, then poured a glass of cold water, adding to it one of the boy's hangover cures. She then said quite suddenly,

"Blaise and I broke up." Hermione raised an eyebrow lazily, now she knew why Blaise was so angry last night. Ginny handed her the glass, and plonked down next to her. Hermione sat upright and downed the glass in one, clutching her head, the hangover potion working its magic sobering Hermione instantly. Once her vision cleared she asked,

"What happened?" Ginny paced up and down the carpet, Hermione waited for her to answer,

"Harry. The letter was a proposal. He wants to marry me Hermione. He wants to marry me and I'm betraying him. I can't do it anymore, I can't pretend that this thing between me and Blaise will ever go anywhere. Its foolish. I love Harry and we are going to be married. Blaise can go to hell for all I care." Hermione laughed, and laughed, then looked her friend in the eye,

"Then you're an idiot. I'm going for a shower." She didn't care in that instant that Ginny would know that there was something between her and Blaise, all she wanted to do was wait for Draco in Blaise's bed. Ginny couldn't see what was in front of her, her love for Potter had blinded her to the point of no return, but Hermione knew that she'd be back, they would find a way to bring her back. She entered the bathroom finding Blaise standing like an Italian God in front of the mirror shaving what little facial hair he had. He tilted his head to look at her, she stripped and stepped into the shower. Blaise called to her,

"Alright Lover?" Hermione poked her head around the shower screen,

"Ginny came round. I know what happened between the two of you. No wonder you were angry last night." She stuck her head back under the shower spray, drowning herself in the rush of cool water. Strong hands gripped her waist, and spun her round to face him. The shower had drenched him again, droplets clinging to his dark hair, the water created a sheen across his tanned, muscular body. She sighed into his embrace, what she wouldn't give to have Draco back in her arms safe and sound. Blaise was thinking along the same lines, last night had changed everything, and as he watched Draco with Hermione he had realised that in his own way he loved the blond as much as Hermione did. They had been friends practically all their lives, they had become blood brothers at the age of eleven just before they left for Hogwarts. They had shared fights, broomsticks, and now the one woman in the world that completed them both fully, but Blaise felt that the trio's power would advantage from the three becoming lovers in all ways possible. Although Blaise himself was not adverse to boys as well as girls in his bed, he knew that suggesting that him and Draco become more then friends would not go down well with the Malfoy heir. Hermione broke him from his thought by kissing him deeply, "What's up love? You have that look." Blaise looked down at her,

"What looks that then?" She leant up and nipped at his neck,

"The look you get when you want to tell me something, when you're figuring things out. I know you too well love." Blaise smiled, then kissed her again. Dropping to his knees he kissed her stomach, trailing his tongue down between her legs. She sighed, tangling her fingers in his dark ruffled hair, his tongue was exploring every inch of her, licking and nipping. She shivered and came, her knees buckling she collapsed into his arms. He lifted her off the floor and took her to his bedroom, drying them both off, he laid her on the bed and made love to her until they both came apart in each others embrace. They laid together waiting for the man they loved to come back to them.

He led them to the end of the Manor's darkest corridor until they came to a heavy looking, wooden door; placing his palm flat against it he whispered the password to enter. The door shimmered away revealing behind it a vast array of lethal looking weaponry. He turned to Potter and the Weasel who both looked shocked,

"Wait here." Potter grabbed his sleeve,

"Where are you going." Draco only smiled, shrugged his arm out of Potter's grasp and walked away. Finding the right aisle was easy, he used to seek refuge down here when his Father was on the rampage. He would sit and stare at the implements of death thinking up imaginative ways of ending his Father's existence. Those days were behind him now, he could crush Lucius's existence with a nod of his head if he desired so. He found what he was looking for, snatching it up he returned. Potter scoffed at the item in Draco's hand, "That's your solution then? An axe. Do you really think that chopping the door down is going to work?"

"Yes," he replied simply, motioning for them to leave the room. The door shimmered into place once more as soon as all had left. He led them back the way they had come stopping short at a vast set of double doors just off the entrance hall. "Here we are then. Lucius's study." He raised the axe and hit, the wood splintered. To be honest it did surprise him that the axe has worked, Lucius's distaste for muggle ways clearly clouded his sense. Taking it turns for the next half hour the three men had managed to break through. Draco kicked the rest down, the ruined doors swung forward on their hinges. Only twice in his life had he been in his Father's study, the first time being when he had been accepted at Hogwarts, the second was on his sixteenth birthday. That was when Lucius had told him that he would be receiving the Dark Mark on Midsummer's Day the next year. The room was vast, a huge mahogany desk occupying half the space, there were no pictures of Draco or his mother. One wall was stacked high with books, the other empty and bare. All in all the room was emotionless, cold exactly like his Father. Potter was already poking around looking under and in everything, Draco heaved a despairing sigh, "What _are_ you doing?" He drawled in a clipped tone, Potter looked at him angrily,

"Looking for the cup, what do you think arsehole." Draco held up his hands, sinking into the huge wing back armchair by the fireplace. Potter and Weasley looked at him incredulously, "Aren't you going to help us?" Draco smiled,

"I've done what you asked me to do. Now I'm leaving it in your capable hands." The two Gryffindors shook their heads and spent the next half an hour scouring the study. Draco sat and watched amused, lighting up a cigarette and drinking a five hundred year old fire-whiskey his Father had stashed in his drinks cabinet. Potter seemed to figure out what Draco was up to,

"Alright Malfoy what do you want? We're clearly wasting our time here aren't we? You know where the cup is but you want something in return for helping us find it." Draco offered Potter a glass of whiskey which was declined,

"Took your time figuring that one out." He got up and went to sit behind Lucius's desk, "You're absolutely right though, I do want something in return. I want your assurance that once you have destroyed all the Horcuxes, provided your tiny mind can process the information I have discovered, you will allow me, shall we say the honour, of putting paid to that shite once and for all." Harry blinked,

"So you want to be the one to kill Voldemort?" Draco nodded, "Are you serious? That isn't your right Malfoy, its mine. He has all but destroyed my life and I am not about to let someone else kill him." Draco was unfazed, he stood up,

"Fine then. Get the fuck out of my house." The other two men looked at each other, Ron said,

"What?"

"I said, get the fuck out of my house. Its a pretty simple instruction. If you're not willing to let me kill that son of a bitch then I don't really feel like giving you anything. But I would have thought that you two being such goody goody's on the side of virtue it wouldn't matter who killed the twat only that he was dead. However if you aren't willing thats fine, but get out." Harry walked to the desk and glared stonily at the blond man,

"I don't know what your game is Malfoy but I don't like it. If you want Voldemort dead as much as I do it wouldn't matter to you either who killed him only that he was dead. Seeing as you are suddenly willing to help the light side and all." Draco smirked again,

"Of course it matters to me. I want him to look me in the eye as I draw out the life from his pathetic corpse. I want him to suffer, to know that I was the one who finished him. I want that satisfaction. You wouldn't know that feeling Potter being so good and all. Look, just because we both want the same thing doesn't mean we're on the same side. I'm not one of the good guys, I want to be the one for purely selfish reasons. You know my terms, do we have a deal? Or am I going to have throw you out of here?" Harry and Ron looked at each other, then back at Malfoy. Harry gritted his teeth, right now he needed something from Malfoy, even if he himself didn't hold to his end of the bargain, he would have to agree for the time being. He turned to Draco and said,

"We have a deal." Draco smiled,

"Great. Let's get to work then." He proceeded to tell them everything he had discovered in his researching, including that the locket Horcrux had last been in the possession of the Black family and that the Gryffindor sword was not the only surviving relic of the founder. The item of Ravenclaw's was the most intriguing, an emerald encrusted dagger given to her by Slytherin himself. The details of why he had given it to her were sketchy, but Draco had discovered something that may indicate the location. A house somewhere near in the area surrounding Hogwarts that Ravenclaw had occupied during her teaching days. She had lived there until she died. Draco hadn't managed to find much on the item of Gryffindor's but then his source material had been written by Gryffindor's nemesis. He retrieved the cup from his Father's safe, remembering all the incantations from when Lucius had given him the Malfoy ring from it six years previous. Handing it over to Potter and Weasley he then actually meant it when he told them to get the fuck out of his house.

"Fine, whatever." Ron left the room, but before he left Harry rounded on Draco,

"Look Malfoy, I don't know what it is your up to or what your planning and frankly I don't care. We're through, I will never ask for your help again, whatever the task is, and don't ever ask for mine because you won't get it." Draco smirked,

"Oh and thats the thanks I get. I've fucking hand fed you everything you need now and you aren't even grateful? I'm shocked and disappointed." He let out a cold laugh, Harry looked read to throttle him,

"Don't fuck around with me Malfoy, I know there is something going on, and I'm going to find out. Me and Ron, we're coming back to Hogwarts. So I'll see you around, arse hole." He left, Draco lobbed the glass into the fireplace.

"Bollocks." Channeling his anger, he re-activated the wards, also adjusting them so Lucius could not return. It wasn't that hard to do, considering he was backed by his own and Hermione's power. Unfortunately their combined power was still not as strong as it could be, there was still a vital ingredient missing. He had felt a spark of it last night and he figured that the key could lie in something that was all together both intriguing and frankly disturbing to him. Shaking his head he made his way to the garden to give his regards to his mother before returning to Hogwarts. He ascended the staircase to Blaise's room finding him and Hermione curled closely together, totally zoned out. He sat in the chair and watched the beautiful pair sleep.

"You love him. Don't you Blaise." She turned in the bed to face him, stroking his face gently. He turned away from her, ashamed. Her heart reached out for him, "I felt it in you when you made love to me. How long?" He didn't answer straight away, only leaned to the night stand to retrieve his cigarettes. He lit one and took a long drag, staring at the ceiling. She did the same, waiting patiently for him to talk, not pushing it. He sighed,

"I've been friends with Draco a long time, he has been a constant in my life ever since I can remember. I couldn't imagine a world without him. Or without you. Last night when you and him were together and I was watching you I realised that I never wanted to be apart from either of you. I love him, as I love you." She smiled, she couldn't deny that the thought of Blaise and Draco together didn't excite her, to her it would be an ultimate thrill. She curled her body into Blaise's, whispering,

"I love you to Blaise." All talk done they fell into a deep sleep, both dreaming of an ideal world, of the gorgeous blond that was always in their thoughts. They slept contentedly, and thought asleep, they both sensed the exact moment he returned to them. His grey eyes sweeping over them as they slumbered. The three of them perfectly alone together.


	12. Chapter 22

**Chapter Twenty-Two**

She awoke to the sound of raised voices. An argument between Blaise and Draco, she couldn't make out what they were yelling at each other but she could feel their anger radiating from them. She got out of the bed, wrapping the thin sheet around her. Tentatively she made her way down the stairs, as she got closer their words got clearer, Blaise was yelling,

"You fucking left without even consulting us! Is it not important what we think huh?! She didn't want you to go Draco!" She watched as Draco's grey eyes darkened, his lips forming into an ugly sneer,

"What's all this 'us' bull crap all of a sudden? You haven't been around for two fucking weeks Blaise, too wrapped up in that little Redhead who's leaving you at the first sign of Potter taking an interest again, exactly like I said she would. So don't start preaching to me about my fucking girlfriend!" She stepped from the shadows,

"That's enough." They whipped around to look at her, her eyes were darkened, they knew what that meant; their argument had made her angry. Draco turned on his heel,

"Fuck this." He said and walked out the door. Blaise begun to swear under his breath in Italian, walking to the kitchen to make himself some strong coffee. Hermione stormed over to him, slamming her hand down on the counter, "Excuse me! Do you want to explain what the hell that was about?!" The Italian swung round and told her in his native language to 'leave him the fuck alone'. She smacked him round the head and went to get dressed for school, seething. She resolved to get to the bottom of the argument, her and Draco had a free third period, she would confront him then. Ignoring Blaise as she walked past him, she left for the Great Hall. When she arrived, she got a shock, for sitting at the Gryffindor were Harry and Ron, as if they'd never left.

Draco cracked out the stiffness in his neck, he had fallen asleep in the chair and his whole body ached. Hermione and Blaise still slept soundly. Painfully he got up and headed for the shower. His mind was troubled, with Potter and Weasley back it would be twice as hard for him and Hermione, also Potter had sworn to find out what was going on and that got to him most of all. The rush of water cleared his senses, and he was able to think clearly about the situation that he was facing. He stepped out of the shower and wrapped a towel round his waist. He stood in front of the sink and wiped the condensation from the mirror, taking in his reflection. He had dark circles under his eyes, and his skin was paler then usual, all in all he looked fucking awful. He re-dressed in the clothes from the night before and made his way downstairs, where the smell of strong coffee assaulted his senses. Blaise was in the kitchen brewing espresso, a stony expression on his face. When he saw Draco, that expression turned to one of complete and utter anger. Draco couldn't help himself,

"Woah, what's up man? Waking up next to my girlfriend not do it for you anymore?" Blaise snapped and lobbed a saucer at Draco's head. The blond ducked, shielding himself, now he was angry,

"What the fuck Zabini?! What's your problem?!" Blaise's eyes had changed from dark brown to a startling indigo,

"My problem? My problem is you right now Malfoy. You've totally screwed up this time!" Draco flicked his head back in exasperation,

"Fucking hell, what is it now, huh?" Blaise wanted to throttle him, he was being so pig headed, it was unbelievable,

"You left her. She was in a right state yesterday you twat, I had to look after her." Draco snorted,

"Yeah I noticed that, the little Redhead not satisfying you recently?" Blaise threw another saucer at him, Draco shattered it against the wall with a swish of his hand,

"Don't bring her into this Draco, this isn't about her." Draco begun towards the door, however he didn't leave, he turned back towards the Italian and said,

"Oh yeah I forgot, she isn't a part of this anymore is she? Fine, I won't go on about her then. You want to know why I went? I went because it was the right thing to do. I helped the person I loathe the most because it was the right thing to do. You think it was easy to go? I hate leaving her, I hate leaving you, but it was necessary." Blaise was angry, but controllably,

"It's not that you went Draco, its just. You fucking left without consulting us! Is it not important what we think huh?! She didn't want you to go Draco!" The blond was raging, Blaise was hacking him off. He didn't see him stepping forward to offer his help, it also pissed him off that Blaise was presuming things about him and Hermione, he couldn't even bloody hold on to his girlfriend,

"What's all this 'us' bull crap all of a sudden? You haven't been around for two fucking weeks Blaise, too wrapped up in that little Redhead, who's leaving you at the first sign of Potter taking an interest again, exactly like I said she would. So don't start preaching to me about my fucking girlfriend!" He felt the air around them change, he could feel her presence behind them,

"That's enough." Her voice rang out, calm and commanding but laced with annoyance. He and Blaise both turned to look at her, he could tell she was angry, but at the moment he was seething himself. He turned on his heel, and said,

"Fuck this," and walked out the door. He headed for his dorm room, he needed to change for school. The whole house was already up and awake, milling around the common room, waiting for breakfast time to begin. The younger ones scurried out of view at the sight of their Prince, his glowering stare piercing anyone who crossed his path. He managed to make it to his staircase without harming anyone to badly, a couple of fourth years were nursing bruised ribs but everyone was otherwise unharmed. However, that was soon to change as Pansy, Crabbe, Goyle and Nott blocked his path. Pansy's shrill voice grated on his head,

"Where've you been?" He sniggered,

"As if I am going to tell you, stupid whore." She smacked him, he grabbed her arm as it rose to do it again, "Don't try my patience Pansy, I don't hit girls but I'm willing to make an exception. Now, if you four would kindly get out of my way I need to change for class." They remained where they were, Pansy was not deterred by Draco's threats,

"Your mansion was broken in to last night Draco. Something was taken that was precious to the Dark Lord. Don't you think its funny Draco, that minutes after the robbery took place, you suddenly appeared visiting your Mother?" Draco's head whipped up, he pounced forward and caught Pansy round the neck, slamming her backwards. Crabbe, Goyle and Nott leapt to her defence, pulling Draco off of her. He shouted,

"Where is she Parkinson? I swear to God, if anything has happened to my Mother I will put the person responsible in the fucking ground. And I take it it was your twat of a Father who is investigating this 'break-in'? Be fucking careful who you accuse now love, you don't know what I am capable off." The pug faced girl smiled sweetly,

"So, what you're saying is that it was a pure coincidence that you visited your Mother yesterday?"

"Am I not allowed to visit my Mother anymore? Is that a fucking crime against Voldemort these days, caring about one's family?" He had had enough of this, he focused his thoughts and invaded Pansy's mind. It turned out she was just gassing, she didn't know anything of significance, and it appeared that no-one except these inept cretins suspected him of anything. His mother was still safe, and she had told the interrogators that she saw Draco arrive and leave the mansion. That in itself was a lie, but he knew that Narcissa Malfoy was no Death Eater, nor would she ever give up her own son. He pulled himself out of Pansy's mind, her eyes clouded over and her expression was blank. Turning to the others he said in a dangerous tone, "Now unless you have anything else that is not pure bullshit to say to me, you won't mind if I take my leave of you. Your idiocy is clouding my space to breath." He sauntered past them, fuming still, stopping on the fourth step, he said to them, "Oh and if any of you pry into my affairs again I will make sure you leave this establishment thinking you are six year old girls with pretty hair, are we clear?" A chorus of 'Yes Draco' satisfied him enough and he went to change for breakfast. Ten minutes later and he was entering the Great Hall, stood in his path was Hermione, her eyes fixed on the two figures at the Gryffindor table. He stood beside her, breathed in her scent, letting his lust for her wash over him. He turned his head to her,

"Want to get out of my way Granger?"

"Want to get out of my way Granger?" His arrogant tone rang in her ear, she looked up at him, his anger from that morning was still evident. She was still mad at him but that did nothing to curb her lust for him, he looked even more delicious then normal. His blonde hair was tousled and damp from the shower he took earlier, his grey eyes were smoldering, he leaned down to her and whispered, "I'm sorry I left without talking about it, but it had to be done," out of the corner of his eye he could see Potter and Weasley advancing towards them, "I'm sorry lover. Meet me in third period, we'll talk." She looked up at him, forgiveness and love in her eyes, but for the sake of the rest of the school, she said quite clearly,

"Fuck you Malfoy." She stalked off to stop Harry and Ron strangling her lover in front of her, shoving them back to the Gryffindor table, she sat next to Ron, Harry seating himself next to Ginny. She smiled at her best friends and 'boyfriend', toying with her hair she said,

"Are you guys, you know back for good?" Harry looked stony faced, he said sharply,

"What did he say to you?" She became somewhat twitchy,

"Nothing, it was nothing, just him being his usual arrogant prat self." Harry didn't look satisfied but he left it at that, Ginny hugged herself to her boyfriend and looked absolute ecstatic at the fact that he had returned. 'Hypocrite' thought Hermione, her eyes flicked up towards the Slytherin table, catching Draco's eye who winked and licked his lips. Blaise was seated at the other end of the table, clearly he was still mad at Draco. His face was impassive, but his eyes flashed thunderous anger when he looked towards Harry and Ginny. Ron tugged on her arm,

"Hermione, come on sweetheart, we'll be late for class." She allowed Ron to take her hand and walk her to class, flashing an unseen seductive smirk at Draco when she passed the Slytherin table, which was returned with a wink. She smiled and followed her boyfriend out like a good little puppy, all the while thinking about the blond and what he did to her.

Hermione sat in her two classes anticipating third period, the time dragged on and on, and she had trouble concentrating. It was nice to have Harry and Ron back, as much as she loved Draco and Blaise, her two best friends were irreplaceable. Although she was getting some weird vibe from Harry, he didn't seem like himself and he kept retreating away from her every time she tried to talk to him. By the time the bell went at the end of her second class she was on her last tether, so she let rip,

"Harry, for fuck's sake what is it? You've been acting weird all morning! What the hell happened last night?" Harry waited until Ron and Ginny were out of earshot and said back viciously,

"I've been weird?! What the hell is going on Hermione?! I saw your little look at Malfoy after breakfast and that little exchange the two of you had? That was not normal behaviour." She glared at him, giving him the impression that she thought he was mad,

"God Harry, have you gone absolutely crazy?! You're seeing things that aren't there! Do you want to know what he said to me? Do you really want to know?" Harry began to look sheepish, but he nodded, if Malfoy had insulted Hermione, he wanted to know about it. She flicked her hair behind her head, "He said, 'Shame your boyfriends back Granger, I enjoyed screwing your brains out every night," Harry looked at her incredulously, then laughed, her face cracked into a wide smile,

"Okay Hermione you win! I'm sorry for being ridiculous. Its just when we were at the Mansion, Malfoy was just acting more arrogant then normal, like he had something over us; and there was something he said to Ron that just perplexed me somewhat. Never mind its probably nothing." She bit her lip, then looped her arm through his and walked him down the corridor towards his next lesson, on the way she asked how it really went at the Mansion, he was vague,

"We got there, we broke into Lucius's study, Malfoy found the cup in the safe and handed it over. He also told us the potential whereabouts of another Horcrux. The item of Ravenclaws, thats the reason that me and Ron are back. The Horcrux is in a house not far from here, we're breaking in at the weekend." Hermione looked worried, something was troubling her,

"He just gave you the information? Just like that?" Harry nodded nervously, she didn't quite believe it, knowing Draco like she did, he wasn't one to do something for nothing. However she didn't let on to Harry that she didn't believe him, she would have to ask Draco his version of events later. "Fair enough then. Can I come, at the weekend?" He smiled,

"Maybe. I don't know how dangerous its going to be and I don't want you to get hurt, also me and Ron are going back to Grimmauld straight after, so...I mean its Christmas holidays in two weeks so we'll see you then. There is some stuff I may need your help with then. Its probably best if you don't come on Saturday actually, you have your studies and everything." They had reached his class and she let him go. He watched her go, his features a mask, not betraying any of the dread he felt at the fact that his best friend had just lied to him. Turning away from the door to his class, he followed her to the Heads common room. The portrait door had opened and closed quickly, but he was standing close enough to catch a glimpse of blond hair and grey eyes. He grimaced, and stalked off.

Many thoughts running through her head, she made her way to her common room, where Draco was waiting for her, lounged on the sofa. His long limbs stretched out in front of him, a glass of what looked like water, but she strongly suspected was actually vodka, in his hand. His head shot up to catch her eye, leaping off the sofa, he took her round the waist and slammed her back into the wall, covering her lips with his. She melted into him, relishing the feel of him pressed close to her body, inhaling the scent that was his uniquely. In no time at all he had her skirt and knickers off, and his trousers; he hoisted her upwards, thrusting into her. She clawed at the material of his shirt wanting to feel his skin, in the end she got frustrated and ripped his shirt clean off of him, running her fingers over his smooth, pale body. Quickly they both climaxed, kissing each other ferociously. He carried her to the sofa and sat her on his lap, she rested her head on his chest, listening to the steady beating of his heart. They sat in silence for a while, just enjoying being next to each other, she had to interrupt it,

"Draco?" He lazily lifted his head up,

"Mmm, what love?" She turned to face him, chewing her lip as she did when nervous,

"What happened last night? Harry told me that you cooperated, but he said that you didn't ask for anything in return. Call me cynical baby, but I know you and you aren't one for helping unless there is some gain to it. What did you ask for? And please don't lie to me." He looked into her eyes, she looked so tired and defeated, he wanted so badly to protect her from the truth but he knew that this time he wouldn't be able to,

"I got them into my house, and I told them what they wanted to know. There was no way I was going to let them go without getting something in return. So I blackmailed them, I would give them the cup and in return, Potter would let me be the one to finish it. To destroy Voldemort when it came to it. They said yes." He rested his forehead against hers, and said in a husky, harsh tone, full of hatred and malice, "I want that fucker to look me the eye when I squeezed the life out of him. I want him to know as he dies that no-one fucks with me and gets away with it, and lastly I want him to know that it was me who finally put paid to him, not his arch nemesis, but one of his 'loyal' servants, then he'll know that he was never better then anyone." He could sense the lust pouring off of her, her eyes had glassed over and she was breathing heavily. He stroked her hair out of her face, "And then my love, we'll be the ones with the control. We'll be the ones, revered, feared. We'll have the power, and this world will burn for us." He had slipped his hand under her skirt, caressing her gently. She grabbed his hair, forcing his lips on hers, he was her world, and damn anyone who got in their way.

The lake was eerily calm, the surface undisturbed, although rain was hammering down. Under the tree stood a figure, hunched over as if to protect himself from the storm. His jet black hair was soaked, his glasses clouded over. But through the gloom his emerald eyes shone, carefully trained on the window of the Head's rooms. The light in that window was flickering, the storm got worse, and yet Harry stayed. The cold feeling in the pit of his stomach eating away at him, he couldn't be certain what was going on, but everything in him was telling him that Hermione was betraying them all. All the signs pointed towards some sort of relationship between her and Malfoy, and from the length of time she had been in there with him, it was anything but innocent. The rain pounded down covering the land in artificial night, and still he stood, waiting.


	13. Chapter 23

**Chapter Twenty-Three**

The last class that day was Potions, the only class that Hermione shared with both Harry and Ron, and Blaise and Draco. She had spent all of third, and half of fourth in bed with Draco, they had been oblivious to the world, shutting out everything. The storm had raged outside, fueled by their passion for each other and their hatred of the world they lived in. As she entered the classroom, she stole a look at him, he looked relaxed, but alert at the same time. His eyes were always searching, surveying the room, until they rested on her, only then did they show more, in them was an understanding and adoration. They told her that all they had to do was bide their time, and everything would be alright and she believed him. She felt a prod in the small of her back, Harry, urging her forward to her seat, she looked back at her friend. There was something wrong, he didn't look right and it scared her. They took their seats, awaiting Slughorn, who bumbled into the room about two minutes later. Addressing his pupils he rubbed his hands together and said,

"Right then, seeing as we are speeding up your N.E.W.T preparations, I've decided to bring forward the ultimate test of your skills, Veritserum. I have taken the liberty of doing the preliminary preparations, all you lot have to do is finish up," He waved his wand and a small cauldron and stand appeared next to each student, the potion was a dark, black colour and smoke was curling from it, creating sinister symbols in the air. Slughorn continued, "Now, can anyone tell me why the last half an hour of the brewing of Veritserum is vitally important to its effectiveness?" The class was silent, not even Hermione knew, though it probably had something to do with the fact that she was not concentrating. After a minute of complete silence, a loud huff was heard, followed by a clipped drawl,

"The last component has to be added, drop by drop every five minutes. Six drops." The class was slightly shocked, since last year Draco had been strangely silent in class, most had almost forgotten he was actually in this class. Even Slughorn was a little taken aback, he cleared his throat to hide his surprise,

"That's, er, correct Mr. Malfoy. The Dragon's blood must be added drop by drop. I have timed it perfectly that the last half hour will occur in approximately ten minutes. You have that time to collect a vial of Dragon's blood from my desk. Once the potion is ready, you shall partner up and each take two drops. Your partner will then ask you one simple question to which you cannot lie, such as 'What class is this?', is that clear everyone?" The class returned a resounding 'yes' and lined up to collect their vials. Hermione was in line behind Draco, and in front of Harry. Her proximity to her lover was slightly overwhelming her, her mind kept flashing back to the last two hours they had spent together, it made her weak at the knees. She almost tripped into him but Harry caught her arm pulling her back. His eyes caught hers, and she smiled, his face remained impassive. When she regained her footing, she found Draco looking at them, his brow knotted together. There were two words in his eyes, 'He knows.' She watched Harry make his way back to his seat, and when he sat, his eyes trailed to Draco, then back to her. She tore her gaze away, feelings of nausea waving over her, she picked up the vial of Dragon's blood from the desk intending to go back to her seat. She never made it. The vial smashed on the floor as she fainted, the blood pooling around her, creating an image that cut through Draco's heart like a knife. Blaise rushed forward, kneeling beside her. Draco stood still, his eyes met Harry's across the room. He held his gaze steadily, then broke away watching as Hermione was carried from the room.

He paced back and forth, wearing a hole in the stone floor. He knew she had been taken to the hospital wing, but he hadn't followed, trouble was coming and he did not want to fuel it. After she had been taken out of the Potions classroom, Potter had come over to him and said very clearly and in a low dangerous tone,

"This ends now, are we clear?" Draco had never heard Potter seem so sure about something, the menace in his tone worried him somewhat. If Potter laid one finger on Hermione, he would break him. He was waiting for him now, outside Gryffindor common room, the students milling around were looking at him apprehensively. They had never seen Draco look so positively unhinged, he was now leaning against the wall smoking, twiddling the cigarette in his long fingers. Potter came around the corner, Draco kicked off from the wall and stood his ground. Potter pointedly ignored him, walking past him, Draco grabbed his arm and threw him against the stone.

"I am not going to do this here, alright? But we need to have a conversation, now." He spat at him, Without looking at him, Potter nodded and they made their way to an empty classroom. Standing folded, at each end of the room, neither of them willing to break the silence. Draco glared at his nemesis menacingly, then said,

"I don't know how much you know Potter, but you don't tell me what to do. Now, I want to discuss this like adults, alright? No violence or anything." Draco laid his wand on the desk in front of him, appreciating the gesture, Harry did the same, then said,

"Okay, we'll discuss this like adults. Stay the fuck away from Hermione. I know there is something going on between you two. Frankly it makes me sick to think of it. You may not like me telling you what to do but to be honest I've had it with you. You should never have come back here, not after what you did last year. Coupled with what you're doing to Hermione, it makes for an unimpressive record. If I had had my way you would have been rotting in Azkaban, as it were you're not. But now, I'm here to tell you, you're leaving Hogwarts tonight. If you don't leave here now, your Father and all his cronies will find out that you're a traitor to them and I know you can't afford for that to happen. So I'm telling you again, stay away from Hermione and leave." Draco laughed,

"You're all talk Potter, you think my Father will believe you? You're tripping." Harry sneered at the blond,

"He's more likely to believe me then you, ain't that right Draco? You're Father doesn't exactly trust you, does he? Anyway, I have friends in high places who can ensure that the right people find out the right things. So don't you go worrying about that. You see, in the end Malfoy, I will always beat you, just like I do in every single Quidditch match." Draco knew that Potter meant business, if his Father got wind of any of his activities recently, he would make sure that Draco paid for it. He knew that he had to bow out, for now, if only to protect the woman he loved. Suddenly realising that all this was about Hermione he said,

"What about Hermione? Have you thought about what this is going to do to her? She'll never let me go." Harry snorted,

"She'll be pleased. At least you won't be able to manipulate her and God knows what else." Now it was Draco's turn to laugh,

"I did nothing to her that she wasn't willing to participate in Potter. As for her being pleased I'm gone, unlikely. She will hate you for the rest of time, and God help you Potter, because then, she'll be the one that kills you, not me." Draco left the room, Harry stared at the spot where he had stood, more worried now then he had been when he discovered Hermione and Draco's secret. If Malfoy was saying what he thought he had been saying, then Hermione had willing entered into this with Malfoy, and that she may actually love the bastard.

**She watched him walk off into the distance, a gaping hole in her chest, where her heart once beat. A hand laid on her shoulder,**

**"Its for the best Cara." Blaise, next to her. Then Harry and Ron stood in front of her, Blaise had disappeared, Harry hugged her,**

**"Its okay, he can't hurt you now. He's gone and you can get on with your life." Ron kissed her,**

**"Marry me?" The scene shifted again, and she was standing by a gravestone, flowers and candles littered the ground,**

**Draco Lucius Malfoy.**

**Died, 23rd October, 2010.**

**Traitor.**

**The last word had been carved into the stone, the letters jagged and crude. She collapsed to the ground, grasping at the grass surrounding his grave site. Utter despair engulfed her, and she felt the world slipping away. The skies opened, blood red rain drops stained the earth, burning everything they touched. Her grief overwhelmed the world, and every living soul felt her pain.**

She awoke screaming. Madame Pomfrey bustled around her, Ron on her heels, whining,

"Hermione? Baby its okay, you're okay." Her screaming stopped abruptly, rounding her gaze on her idiotic 'boyfriend' she said with malice in her voice,

"Shut the fuck up Weasel." The matron gasped,

"Miss Granger! There is no need for that language!" Hermione's head cleared and the feelings the dream had evoked had dissipated, she felt herself calm,

"Oh! Madame Pomfrey I'm so sorry, you to Ron. I don't know what came over me! What happened, why am I in the hospital wing?" Ron sat by her side, taking her hand,

"You fainted in Potions. I brought you here straight away, you've been out for about three hours." She looked up in alarm, reminded that Harry knew about Draco and her,

"Where's Harry?!" Ron looked at her strangely,

"He had some business to attend to, he'll be along later. Are you okay babe, you're acting a little odd." She tugged on Ron's hand violently,

"Please Ron, you have to find him now! He's er, in er, danger, find him and bring him here!" Ron was still looking her strangely, but got up, dropped a kiss on her head and left, looking back at her, then went to meet Harry for dinner. Madame Pomfrey was still bustling round her, she said to the nurse,

"Why did I faint Madame Pomfrey? That's never happened to me before." The matron clammed up and said unconvincingly,

"I don't know I'm afraid Miss Granger. There doesn't appear to anything wrong with you at all. Now, seeing as you're awake and alert, you have no need to be here, but I do advise that you get a good night's rest, nothing to strenuous. Off you go." Hermione swung her legs off the bed and rushed off to find Draco. The two people in the hospital wing watched her go.

"Well Poppy, is it what I suspected?" The nurse looked at the Headmistress,

"Yes Minerva." Minerva McGonagall sighed heavily, in his last letter to her before he died, Albus Dumbledore had betrayed to her a worrying portent. Three people would come together, and it would lead to the evolution of the ultimate power, a power greater then his own, greater then anything that had existed before. This power would be a deciding factor in the battle between good and evil, light and dark. Even Voldemort himself couldn't stop it, the whole world was now trembling with it. McGonagall suspected that it was greater then even Dumbledore knew, and it had to be stopped. The only way she could see that happening was if Draco Malfoy and Blaise Zabini were kept away from Hermione Granger. She feared though that it would destroy Hermione forever.

He sat under the tree and waited for her. He knew that she would find him here, it was their place. The smoke from his cigarette curled around him, mingling with the cold mist. He pulled his cloak around him more, shielding himself from the steadily decreasing temperature. He took a long drag, looking to the sky. The stars danced, unknowing that his world was crashing down around him. She was his world and without her he was lost. He waited, the glow from the cigarette tip illuminating the single tear that turned to ice down his cheek.

Hermione was frantic, Draco was no where to be found. She checked the library, his Slytherin dormitory, the Heads common room, everywhere. She slammed into the Great Hall, the students watched as their Head Girl looked around frantically. She spotted Harry, Ron and Ginny calmly eating dinner. Harry looked up at her, his face stony. A feeling of dread rushed into her, turning on her heel. She stopped in the entrance hall, grabbing her head, racking her brains as to where he could be, not wanting to accept that he may be gone. Then it hit her, the tree by the lake. She ran as fast as she could. He was there, the moonlight hitting his hair, creating a false halo around his head. She slammed into him, wrapping her arms around him from behind. He turned around in her embrace. She was sobbing hysterically, stuttering,

"I-I c-couldn't find you. I thought the worst, I thought you had left me. H-Harry, does he know? What's going to happen. Oh God, Draco, please don't say its over, I couldn't stand it." He wiped her tears away with his thumbs,

"Don't cry please baby. No tears, you're stronger then that, I know you are. Potter does know. I..." She looked up at him, he wasn't looking at her, she followed his gaze across the lake, then shook him,

"Draco! What, what is it?" He peered back down at her, his beautiful girl, it was going to kill him to say it, but he had to,

"I'm leaving." She jumped back and gasped, the colour drained from her face,

"No! Please Draco, you can't. What am I going to do without you? I won't be able to go on." He pulled her back into his arms,

"You have to, you know you do. We can't be together like this, there's to much at stake, to many people would be after us. Your side would make you an outcast, discard you like nothing, and mine would kill us both. You know it has to be like this. I don't want to leave you, especially to them, but we don't have any other choices. Please don't cry, please don't make this harder." As soon as he had said it, they both had a sense of deja vu, it was as if they had both heard it before. She felt pulled away from him again, shouting,

"NO! It doesn't have to be like this! I don't give a fuck whether Harry knows, he can't do anything to us! I don't give a fuck what they think. I'll break up with Ron, we can be together properly, it will be fine." The look on her face cracked his heart in two, he knew how this ended and as much as he hated seeing her cry he knew that this would destroy her,

"No it won't be fine, Angel. My Father will kill you, you'd be in constant danger. It would be selfish of me to put you in peril like that, you mean to much to me." She knew he was right, she didn't want to believe it, but she knew that he was doing the right thing. It was inevitable, their relationship would never have worked, she had known this day would come, they both did, having dreamed of it so many times. She slowly nodded,

"You're right Draco. We both knew, didn't we? As much as we tried, this, us, it would never have worked, but I so wanted it to. I had this dream, that we were married and happy together. No-one bothered us, no-one was after us, it was purely bliss. But that's all it ever was Draco, this relationship, a dream. I think that Harry finding out has put things into perspective. We have to return to reality. I-I'll always love you Draco Malfoy." She started to walk away from him, the mind-numbing pain of their separation began to eat away at her. He called to her,

"HERMIONE!" She turned around, tears streaming down her face, he ran to her, she flung her arms around him, clinging to him, to stop herself collapsing with grief. She was crying,

"Please God no, please don't go Draco. Please. Oh God." He lifted her chin up, looked into her eyes, saw the despair in his eyes reflected,

"Hermione, I love you and I will come back for you, I swear. We'll be together. It wasn't a dream, this is reality darling. Us. Me leaving, changes nothing, I still want you. After the war is over, after I've killed every last one of Voldemort's lackeys, after I've destroyed the Dark Lord himself, we will be together." He pulled the ancient Malfoy ring from his index finger and pressed it into the palm of her hand, kissing her on the lips, he turned and walked away, leaving Hermione alone in a world of darkness.


	14. Chapter 24

**Chapter Twenty-Four**

Miles away in the village of Little Hangleton, the Riddle house was awake and buzzing. The Dark Lord had not slept in days, the surge of power he had felt resonated through the drafty halls of his filthy muggle ancestors house, it filled his entire being. He had sent out scouts to gather information on the possible cause, but so far nothing had come up. His anger was catastrophic, the already crumbling walls began to quake as he raged through the darkened corridors. Arriving at the library, he kicked the door down and stormed towards the people he had tasked to research the uprising. They all cowered in fear as he entered, his snakelike eyes glowing red with rage.

"WELL? What have you discovered?" The head of the researchers scurried forward, a wad of parchment in his hand,

"Er, well, Sir, the answer is er, that it is definitely a triad of some sort." Voldemort caught the man around the neck and snapped it. A whole day spent researching and that was all they managed to find out. His anger was unrelenting, he slaughtered the rest of the researchers and then locked himself in the study. After another hour or so, he called for Lucius Malfoy and Carlo Zabini, his two most trusted associates. The two men sat across from him, and he began,

"Gentlemen, as you can probably tell I have been deeply troubled. I have detected an uprising, a power that has the potential to destroy everything I have worked for. My researchers found nothing useful to determine the source of this power, so shall we say, their contracts were," Voldemort grinned evilly, "terminated. Anyway, I am still no closer to discovering this threat. I entrusting the task to you, to find out all you can, leave no stone unturned. Kill who you will, but find out what caused this and how I stop it." The two men nodded humbly, and left the room. Voldemort smiled, once they were found, the culprits would have their power torn from their bodies, then their bodies torn apart. This thought settled him and he got back to his plans.

Blaise played over the events of that evening in his head, he was stretched out in his bed, Hermione slouched across him. She had finally cried herself to sleep about an hour ago. For that he was grateful, she had come to him that evening irrevocably broken, and it tore at his heart to see her like that. Draco had come to him before he had met Hermione on the grounds, Blaise could still taste the blond on his tongue.

_He was sat in the Slytherin Common Room, downing shots of vodka, Hermione was still in the hospital wing, and had not yet woken. Draco had disappeared after Potions class, not saying a word to Blaise about where he was going, but the look on his face as he had stormed from the room told him that something was going down. After Hermione had collapsed he had rushed to her side, but had been hastily shoved out the way by Weasley, who had carried Hermione from the room. Potter had walked calmly over to Draco, a stony look on his face, and said something that only Draco could hear. All these events, Hermione's collapse, Draco's mood and his interaction with Potter, told Blaise only one thing. Potter knew about Hermione and Draco. There were three things that troubled Blaise, the first was how had Potter discovered their secret, the second was, was Ginny to blame, and the third was, what would it mean for the three of them. This question was answered by Draco slamming through the portrait door and striding right past him to his room. Blaise had trailed the Malfoy heir upstairs, finding him hastily throwing clothes into a bag. He grabbed the blonds arm, halting his actions,_

_"Draco, what the fuck is going on?" Draco shrugged his arm out of Blaise's grip, and continued emptying the room of his belongings, _

_"Potter knows, I have to leave." A dark look appeared on the Italian's face, he said in a low angry tone,_

_"How?" Draco stopped, he had seen Blaise angry before but this was something else. The Italian's eyes had turned a shocking indigo colour, and the dim lights were flickering. Draco strode over to him and clicked his fingers in front of his friends face,_

_"Snap out of it man for fuck's sake. I don't know how Potter found out, he just knew. I need you to make sure you look after Hermione. She'll need you." Blaise's anger wasn't desisting,_

_"Of course I'll fucking look after her, seeing as you're buggering off and leaving her!" Draco smacked Blaise round the head, _

_"Don't be so bloody ignorant. Do you think I want to go? Don't you think if I had another option I'd take it? Potter gave me an ultimatum, leave or he goes to Lucius. Golden boy or no, my twat of a Father is more inclined to believe him then me. I am not going to put her in unnecessary danger by staying here. It will kill me to leave her, and you, but I have to go." Blaise felt his anger turn to despair, Draco was halfway out the door when he turned back to him. He walked over, stood in front of him, there was an almost animalistic glint in Draco's eye. He grabbed the back of Blaise's neck and smashed his lips into the other man's. The kiss lasted seconds but it had changed them completely, without another word, Draco left the room, leaving Blaise staring in disbelief. _

He had stumbled back to the Head's rooms, drunk about a litre of Firewhiskey and passed out on his bed. He had been woken by Hermione shaking him, the pain in his head had been unbearable but the pain in his heart had been more when he had seen her. She had told him how Draco had left, and told her that he loved her. She had cried and cried in his arms, her tears staining his clothes. He had done his best to reassure her, calming her but she would have none, only stopping when she had exhausted herself. Now here they were, he stroked her hair, she was mumuring in her sleep, things he couldn't decipher. In the end he succumbed to sleep to, both of them dreading the morning.

Hermione woke, exhausted, her sleep had been fractured. She had kept waking, then remembering that he had gone. She rose from the bed, Blaise had already disappeared, she wrapped one of his robes around her and went downstairs to make coffee. The kitchen was a mess, empty bottles of fire whiskey littering the surfaces, abandoning the idea of coffee, she picked up a half empty bottle of the liquor and took a big swig. The liquid burned down her throat, it was excruciating, but it numbed the pain in her heart. Slouching on the sofa, she drained the rest of the bottle, then cracked open another bottle. The alcohol worked its effects and she felt lightheaded, giddy, like it was just a horrible dream, she finished the second bottle before passing clean out. The hammering on the door woke her two hours later, the pounding in her head matched by the frantic knocking. She scowled,

"BUGGER OFF!" She shouted, whoever it was must have known the password because a second later the portrait door swung open. Looking up at the person who had interrupted her stupor, she frowned, "What do you want?" Ginny stood over her, hands on hips, surveying the chaos surrounding her friend. She sat next to her and said in a most simpering tone,

"I came to see how you were. Harry told me that Malfoy's gone. I wanted to know that you were okay." Hermione felt a little more then angry at the audacity of the girl, she got up and said nastily,

"Don't fucking patronize me you little bitch." Ginny wasn't surprised at Hermione's reaction, in fact the sympathy was just an act, she thought Hermione was being downright idiotic and selfish, so she turned,

"Fine then I won't, selfish cow. Harry did you a favour by sending that psycho away, and all you can do is sit here drinking yourself to death?! You have a boyfriend who loves you, you have friends who care. But no, you had to have something else as well, and what do you pick, a no hope relationship with a Death Eater, for fuck's sake! Snap out of this Hermione, you're better then this. He would have chucked you eventually anyway, Gryffindor Order members do not belong with Slytherin Death Eaters." Hermione snorted,

"Hypocrite much. Do I not recall Blaise screwing YOU on every surface in this room, with me and Draco watching from the couch?! Oh wait, I do recall that! Is Blaise not a Death Eater Ginny?!" Ginny slapped the brunette witch, whose eyes clouded over and the familiar storm clouds rolled in,

"Harry loves me. I made the right choice. Don't think I won't fuck up your life by telling everyone what a whore you are. Blaise and Draco at the same time? Clearly Parkinson isn't the biggest slut around here!" Hermione lunged for her, magic forgotten, she clawed at anything she could find, hair, eyes, skin. Ginny fought back just as hard. A voice from the dark halted them,

"Thats enough. Weaselette, piss off back to your boyfriend, and don't bother coming back. You had your chance lover and now its gone. Don't be mad at her just because she has what you don't. Now do as I say and fuck off before I get angrier then I already am." Blaise surveyed them both with intensity, Ginny scowled at them both and left hurriedly. Hermione sank back on the sofa, a new bottle of fire whiskey in hand. Blaise growled and took it from, prompting her to smack him round the head. He retaliated practically throwing her against the wall and kissing her with such hardness, she could practically feel his anger burning her. He looked her in the eye, and said sternly,

"Are you going to behave Cara?" She was defiant, but nodded, he smiled, "Good. Now sweetheart, I know you are angry and hurt that Draco left, so am I. But, you can't go around picking fights with people, especially not her. If she decides to snap and tell the whole school what she knows, thats it, this is through. Even though Draco is gone, does not mean this is over, alright? You still have me, and he will be back. He will find a way for us to be together. Now, I suggest that you go into the bathroom and freshen up, get dressed and go talk to Potter. Find out just how willing he is to forgive you. I'll be waiting for you to get back." He released her from her position, she made her way to the staircase, stopped at the bottom and turned to him,

"Blaise," He looked up,

"Yes Cara?"

"Thank you. For everything, last night and just now, I couldn't do this without you. I know that I have keep strong, and keep up the facade, its the only way he'll come back to us right?" Blaise smiled wearily,

"Absolutely. Off you go now." She bit her lip and skipped off up the stairs. He picked up the bottle of fire whiskey, walked calmly to the kitchen and poured himself a glass. Hermione's fight with Red troubled him, he would have to deal with that particular problem, and soon. He was almost one hundred per cent certain he could bring her back to him, now she had had him it wouldn't take much to have her again. However, that would have to wait for now, Hermione's state of mind was far more important, but he knew that the truth would destroy her. Draco had gone and there was next to no chance that she would ever see him again.

Harry had expected her to come and find him, in fact he was surprised that it had taken this long. What surprised him also was her state, she was eerily calm, it unnerved him straight away. He was seated at the desks in the Gryffindor common room, she sat in the vacant seat opposite him, they sat in silence for what seemed like an hour, the other students buzzing around them creating irritating background noise. She broke the stand off by saying,

"Lets not do this here, alright?" He nodded and followed her out the room, she led him far out into the grounds of the castle, the morning dew tipping each blade of grass. Finally she stopped and turned to him, eyes dark,

"I don't know what you said to him, or what you know, all that matters now is that he's gone. I don't care what you think of me Harry, I made my choice and I stick by it." He couldn't believe the sheer nerve of her, she wasn't even grateful that he had got rid of that piece of scum,

"Is that the thanks I get? I save you from becoming...from becoming a Death Eaters whore and thats the thanks I get? Enlighten me Hermione, what the hell were you thinking? What on earth fucking possessed you to think of him that way?" Her jaw had dropped open in utter amazement, how one person could be so ignorant was beyond her,

"Open your eyes Potter," she spat at him, "The world can't work exactly how you want it to, you can't just snap your fingers and everyone runs to every need. You can't tell me what I can and can't do. What on earth possessed me, you asked, I'll tell you, it was you and Ron," Harry's eyes widened in amazement, "Yeah, you and you're little sidekick, everyday, always smothering me, never giving me a moments peace. Thinking that I needed protection from you, when I have saved your hides more times than I care to count. You have no idea what thats like." He sneered,

"Get over yourself Hermione. You think that everything is about you, that my incessant need to protect the people I love is some slight on you. You've put us in danger by being with him, have you any comprehension of that? You've no idea what he is capable of." She laughed evilly,

"Oh I am fully aware of what Draco is capable of, and you know what, I don't care. He showed me a world without boundaries, a world where you could live for yourself and I loved every minute of it, and if you think that sending him away changes any of it, you're more wrong then I care to tell you." She turned on her heel and began to walk away, fully aware of Harry's nature to come crawling back to people on bended knee, but this time he surprised her. Shouting at her retreating back he said,

"Fine by me, you're on you're own Hermione. Oh and by the way, do you want to tell Ron or shall I?" She stopped and turned back, a grave look on her face. He was triumphant, he had always known that whatever this thing was between Hermione and Draco, she had never once dumped Ron over it, which meant there was still hope for her. However, the look on her face turned, splitting into a smirk worthy of the Slytherin Prince himself, he'd be so proud,

"Tell him what you will Potter, but ask yourself this. Are you willing to do that to your best friend? It would destroy him and you know it. And you can't afford that, strangely, you also can't afford not having me on side either can you? You better get over this little setback and apologise to me, otherwise you'll never complete your mission. You need me Harry, and you know it. Funny how things turn out, isn't it." This time it was Harry's turn to look grave, unfortunately she was right, and it frightened him to admit it. He nodded,

"Alright Hermione, have it your way. We'll call a truce. But hear this, I am only doing this because I want Voldemort destroyed and yes, I need you to help me," He blushed slightly as he said this, "I've always needed you to help me," his face turned stony again, "but things are not okay between us. I don't understand why you went to Malfoy, of all people, and frankly I don't want to understand it. But I am sorry for how this has turned out." She smiled, a wicked glint in her eye, Harry looked fearful, for it was as if she was channeling Malfoy himself,

"That wasn't so hard, was it?" Turning her back to him, she walked to her common room to give Blaise the good news.


	15. Chapter 25

**Chapter Twenty Five**

**She was waiting for him, and he had to get to her. He could see her, at the end of the platform, black dress, strappy shoes. She looked so sad, all he wanted to do was gather her in his arms and tell her everything would be alright, but he couldn't get to her. As soon as he got close, she got further away. But he still tried, he ran and ran, but she was slipping. He couldn't stop.**

**"Hermione!" He called, but she had turned her back on him, and was walking away, further and further. Something grabbed his collar, hurling him backwards. He hit a brick wall, sliding down it. The pain was excruciating, he almost blacked out. Almost. Grunting, he dragged himself to stand. Facing the men in front of him, over their shoulders he could see her waiting for him. The ring he had placed in her palm glinting in the morning light. But his path was blocked. Voldemort, Lucius, Potter, Weasley, Snape, all stood in his way. He sneered,**

**"What is this eh? An intervention? Save it. You'd all better get out of my way. Now." They didn't move. Suddenly the scene shifted, and she was by his side again. Darkness had fallen, there was blood on her, staining the front of her white wedding dress. His Father stood behind her, a silver dagger gleaming with her blood. She cupped the side of his face, kissing him softly on the lips, she leant forward and whispered vindictively in his ear,**

**"You didn't try hard enough Malfoy." With that she disappeared into thin air, and he was left, her words ringing in his head. His Father smirked and smiled evilly. His heart turned to stone. The wind whistled around him and his world descended into utter darkness.**

He woke up disorientated, his surroundings seemed unfamiliar, though he had lived in them all his life. The past two days weighed heavy on his mind. On his return from school, he had gone directly to Voldemort's manor, to meet his Father. Lucius had been curious as to his sons sudden disinterest in completing his education. Draco had cast it off as disdain for the whole system and contempt for the way in which the school was run, his face impassive, hiding the real reason he had left Hogwarts so suddenly. To Draco's disbelief, Lucius was actually proud, for once in his life. Draco had almost died of shock. The real test came when he had to face Voldemort, deceiving him was a completely different animal to deceiving his Father. Draco had had to concentrate so hard to ensure that the Dark Lord did not find out his true motive. The effort had exhausted him, and he had crashed out in one of the many rooms that the Riddle house possessed. He planned on returning to Malfoy Manor the next day. He had a house elf send word to his Mother that he would be arriving the next afternoon. That night his sleep had been punctuated by dreams of death and betrayal, he had awoken in the morning drenched in sweat. He felt empty without her by his side and he had wondered whether he would ever sleep peacefully again. He showered and dressed, then gathered his belongings in preparation to return home. Before he left, he had once again been called in front of the Dark Lord. He Who Must Not Be Named had looked him up and down, circling him like a vulture, finally he had said in his rasping, hiss-like voice,

"Master Malfoy, it has come to my attention that a very strong and dangerous power has been formed. I have tasked both your Father and Carlo Zabini to find the source of this power, it is my wish for you to join them in this. Your services will be most useful seeing as you can be seen in a public forum, and the others cannot. Leave nothing untouched, find this power and bring it to me. You will of course be highly rewarded for your services." Draco had almost snapped right then and there, he wanted to wrap his fingers around that bastards throat and squeeze until his eyes popped, but luckily he had contained his anger. Afterwards he had thought, in the long run, it was better, he could at least then feed Voldemort false information, and lead him away from the trail that would eventually lead to himself, his lover and his best friend. He had returned to the Manor that day, and after paying his respects to his Mother, had immediately retired to his room, where sleep took him until late the next day. Wandering the dark corridors of his ancestral home, he realised how lonely his existence was, though he was constantly surrounded by people. Being with Hermione had changed that, she had made him feel whole, made his life meaningful, never before had he felt so alive. The following afternoon he had spent with his Mother, who had been in the strangest of moods. Since her husbands escape from Azkaban prison, she had withdrawn from her friends, had barely eaten and was looking sicker by the day. He was growing increasingly worried about her well being, he had even considered sending her to St. Mungo's. At least he was guaranteed that there she would be properly looked after and he could concentrate on getting back where he needed to be. Which was back at Hogwarts with the woman he loved. He knew what he needed to do, but that would take years of planning and even then he would have to be constantly on the run, moving from place to place, he wouldn't, couldn't ask her to follow him in that kind of life. But he felt as though he was running out of options, he needed to speak with Blaise and soon. That evening he had sat at his desk and owled the healers at St. Mungo's, requesting that someone came to assess his Mother's condition as soon as possible. With that sorted, he had written a letter to Blaise, asking him to meet him somewhere in Hogsmeade the next afternoon. He did not sleep until the early hours of that morning, and even his sleep was fractured by his dreams.

Draco rose out of the bed, and dragged himself into the shower. He let the hot water wash over him, greatly troubled by his dream. The image of Hermione, blood drenched in her white wedding dress, sneering in his ear. She was right, he wasn't trying hard enough to keep them together. He shouldn't have let Potter's stupid threat trouble him, he shouldn't have left her. He had the worrying feeling that she was in more danger without him there, then with him there. Stepping out of the shower room, he wrapped a towel around his waist, and went back into his room, where he found two owls waiting. He detached the two letters from their feet and shooed them out of the open window. The first letter was a reply from St. Mungo's, they were sending someone over that morning, soon in fact. He threw it down and tore open the second, recognising Blaise's slanted scrawl.

_Draco,_

_ Meet me outside the Hogs Head, 2 p.m. See you there._

_Blaise._

Short, sweet and to the point, the way Draco liked it. He threw on a pair of jeans and a t-shirt and headed to the dining room for breakfast. He found his Mother wandering the entrance hall, still in her nightgown. The sight tore at his heart, her hair was wild and her eyes wide with unshed tears. She was murmuring to herself, incoherent ramblings, words like Lucius, Dark Lord and sudden screams of 'no, not Draco, please.' He shuddered, seeing her like this was killing him. The house elves had informed him that she had been acting like this for a while now. This was her on an off day, on a good day she was perfectly lucid, appearing to be the same woman who said goodbye to him in September, but then she would change and become this lunatic who stood in front of him. Cautiously he approached her, reaching out his hand to touch her shoulder, tentatively he said,

"Mother? Mother, its me, Draco." She grabbed his hand, turning to face him, her eyes fearful, she shook him violently,

"No!" She cried, "Don't let them! Please, he's my only son!" She was sobbing now, crumpled to the floor, he sat with her. She was hysterical, screaming, "No! Lucius, please, he's only a child. Please! No!" He had had enough, he scooped her up and carried her to her bedroom. He yelled for the house elf, who popped to his side. Placing his mother on the bed, he had to restrain her as she thrashed about, barking at the elf,

"For fuck's sake, go and get that pill thing you've been giving her! Get to it, useless little shit!" The house elf disappeared, then reappeared holding a small vial of red pills. Draco forced a couple down his Mother's throat. After a second she calmed, and slipped into a drug induced slumber. Draco sat watch over her until the healer from St. Mungo's arrived. They agreed with Draco, and made arrangements for her transfer. Draco just numbly sat there, signed the papers and then watched as they carted her off. He spent the rest of the afternoon locked in his Father's study, breaking everything he could find.

Blaise looked at the clock above the fireplace. Half past one, he should leave soon, but Hermione was in the kitchen and he wanted to avoid uneasy questions. It wasn't as if he wanted to keep her away from Draco, he thought that it would be easier for her to deal if she didn't see him. However, evading her was proving to be tricky, she was far to intelligent, and as soon as Draco's letter had arrived the night before, she knew something was up. She had been pestering him all morning, and was still not letting up, time was getting short,

"Why do you keep looking at the clock Blaise?" Her voice shook him out of his daze, he found her sat in the chair beside him, her brown eyes penetrating as she scrutinised him. He smiled at her,

"No reason love. Just bored is all." She got up and planted herself in front him, climbing into his lap, smirking, unnervingly similar to Draco,

"Do you think I was born yesterday lover? This is the last time I ask you, and after this I have no qualms in beating it out of you. What. Is. Going. On?" She had a grip on his hair, and she wasn't letting go. Draco had specifically told him, no scratch that, ordered him to keep her out of this, but his resolve was beginning to crumble. Especially seeing as Hermione was doing wicked things with her tongue down his neck and her hips were grinding into him in the most suggestive of fashions. "Now Blaise, what was in that letter that came late last night? And why are you so anxious to leave here?" He growled at her, and flipped her down so he was straddling her,

"I can't tell you Cara." She leant up and sank her teeth into the side of his neck, he grimaced at the shock of the pain, she let go, then stared at him with huge Bambi eyes,

"Was it Draco?" He turned away from her, and got up, moving to the kitchen. She stood and followed, grabbing him and turning him to face her, "It was, wasn't it?! I can't believe that you kept this from me! Is he okay?" The Italian didn't answer her, she shook him again, "Blaise! Please, tell me he's okay!" He looked down at her, the fear in her eyes sliced his heart like a knife, so he relented. Taking her hand he led her to the sofa and sat her down.

"He's alright Cara, he's at the Manor. His mother, she's...she's not herself. He's looking after her, and..." he trailed off, if he told her about the meeting she would want to come and Draco would kick his arse for not adhering to the rules. To be brutally honest, Blaise wanted to talk to Draco alone, his head was still buzzing somewhat from the blonde's departure and what happened between them before he left. "..and he told me to tell you, that he loves you and misses you." Tears welled up in her eyes, so he hugged her to him, kissing the top of her head. His eyes flicked towards the clock, one forty five, if he didn't leave now, he'd be late. Luckily for him, Hermione had cried herself to sleep against him, disentangling himself, he gently laid her down on the sofa and covered her with a throw. Making as little noise as possible, he slipped out of the door and headed to Hogsmeade.

He watched as the regulars of the Hogs Head came and went, mostly somewhat shady characters. Snow had begun to fall thick and fast, blurring his sight, making it hard to distinguish anything. He pulled his cloak tighter around him and waited, shrouded by the shadow of the alley where he sat. The smoke from his cigarette swirled around his head, sucked into the whirling vortex of snow that was plummeting down. Five minutes later a figure approached him, his black cloak mottled with white snowdrops, looking throughly cold and thoroughly disgruntled. Draco stood up and stubbed his fag out on the wall, Blaise pulled him into a slightly awkward hug. They both pulled back, Blaise then said,

"Let's go and get a drink, I'm freezing my bollocks off out here." They made their way into the dark and dingy pub, Draco inclined his head to the bartender, who knew full well who Draco was and what he wanted. Two glasses of fire whiskey were hastily put in front of them. They sat in silence for a moment, sipping their drinks, allowing the warmth to spread through their systems. It was a while before either said anything, Draco being the first to speak,

"How is she Blaise?"

"Honestly?" The blonde nodded, so he continued, "She misses you like crazy. She's trying to hide it but I can see right through her. Its tearing her up inside Draco, its killing her. She understands why you had to go but she can't live without you anymore. She's been working like crazy the last couple of days, trying to forget, but as soon as we're alone, its like she's slipping away, she's been crying herself to sleep." Draco felt a cold pang in his heart, the thought of her like that was destroying him, he had to see her. He drained his drink and ordered another, Blaise spoke again, "Hows your Mother?"

"The healers took her off this morning. Its for the best, she...she'll be safe there, they can look after her better then I can." Blaise nodded in agreement, Narcissa Malfoy was his Mother's best friend, and Lucia Zabini had often spoken of the change in Narcissa's behaviour whenever Lucius was around. Having not lived under the elder Malfoy's tyrannical regime, Blaise had no idea what his friend was feeling, but agreed that the hospital was probably the best place for her to be. Thinking about Lucius made Blaise remember Draco's cryptic message the night before,

"So, Draco, you didn't bring me here for drinks and a chat. What's on your mind? I take it you have some news for me." The blondes eyes darkened to charcoal grey, and his demeanor shifted, he lowered his voice, so as not to be overheard,

"He knows that there's been an uprising in power, and he doesn't like it. He's me, my old man and yours to find out what it is. Of course I cannot just come out and say, 'Oh yes my Lord, I know exactly what the source is, its me, my mudblood lover and a hot Italian,' can I?" Blaise chuckled,

"Absolutely not. Hot Italian eh? Nice ring to it," Draco scowled, and continued,

"Against my better instincts I decided that it was for the best, at least I can feed him false information. However, I'm fearful for Hermione's safety. If my Father finds out about us, thats it, he'll kill her without blinking. I cannot, I won't allow that to happen." Blaise nodded,

"I assume you have a plan of some form?" This was when Draco smiled, a smile that unnerved Blaise, it was almost manic, evil, then the blonde said quite simply,

"I'm going to kill two birds with one stone. Set my Father up. He goes back to Azkaban, the Ministry orders his execution. I come back to school, back to Hermione, to us. And Potter can't do a fucking thing to stop it."

"How, prey tell do we go about doing this Draco. It could take months! Months that we may not have. The War is starting, you know that. School finishes in April, by which time Potter will be to wrapped up in the hunt for Horcruxes to give a stuff about you. We can just whisk Hermione away then." Draco grimaced, and stood up, then calmly walked out the door. Blaise was confused by this action and hastily followed. The moment he stepped out of the door he was hurled against the wall, the blondes eyes were now totally black and the blizzard had worsened,

"Don't you get it Blaise! I can't fucking wait until April, I need to be with her now. I can't bloody live without her, my life has no meaning when I'm not with her. We're stronger if we stay together!" Blaise shoved him off,

"Then come back then! Potter doesn't even have to know, you could stay in the Head's dorms, unseen. What's stopping you doing that?!" Draco stared off into the distance, after what seemed like forever he answered,

"What use am I locked away like that? I can't study, can't take my exams, can't play Quidditch. I won't hide out like some outcast. Not again. I have to find a way for us all to get through this, we need to stay together." Blaise looked at him, then said,

"Are we together Draco? I know you and Hermione are, and me and her on occasion, what about us? You, you kissed me for fucks sake, what the hell was that?!" He could feel those grey eyes scrutinising him, ever watchful, Draco walked to stand by his side, then repeated himself,

"We're stronger if we're together. All of us. Come on, before we freeze to death. Let's go see our girl." With that the two men walked back to the castle, their relationship irrevocably altered.

A/N: Hey everyone, sorry its taken sooo long to update, I have been so busy with uni and had a slight case of writers block. Hope you like the chapter! A big huge thank you to everyone who has reviewed/read this story, you are all so nice! Erm, will try and update soon as, but may not be for a while. I do promise though to try and write a lot over xmas, so treats in store for all! If anyone has any ideas for how they'd like the story to go, I would love to hear them! It may help me! Thanks again. Much love xxxxxx 


	16. Chapter 26

**Chapter Twenty Six**

She awoke to furious hammering on the door, sitting up, she looked around the room, Blaise was nowhere to be seen. Her gaze fell on the clock on the mantelpiece, it was almost three o'clock. She flicked her wrist at the portrait door, which swung open in response, revealing Harry, Ron and Ginny behind it. She glared angrily at the fireplace, she wasn't in the mood for them today. Their hypocrisy drove her insane. They trooped in, Ron plonked down on the sofa next to her, planting a wet kiss on her cheek,

"Hey darling, where were you? We've been knocking for ages!" She smiled falsely, fluttering her eyelashes, Harry was eyeing her suspiciously,

"I was asleep on the sofa, I didn't hear you." Ron smiled at her, putting his arm around her shoulder. Ginny and Harry were watching, their eyes narrowed in pure loathing. Hermione really couldn't deal with this lot right now, so she said to them, "Uh guys, is there a reason you're here? Its just I've got a lot of work to do and I was going to get in the shower then get on with it." Harry stepped forward,

"We came to say goodbye, we're going back to London this afternoon. We'll see you at Christmas." She nodded, Ron kissed her and said,

"I'll miss you, Love, but we'll see each other in a couple of weeks, okay?" She smiled, he left, along with Ginny. Her expression turned cold, pissed off,

"Did you go to the house?" She asked. Harry's expression darkened, they had been to the house, and they found what they had been looking for. However, he was reluctant to tell Hermione, convinced that she was at least still in touch with Malfoy. He didn't trust her anymore, at all. So he lied,

"No we didn't, it wasn't there." He could tell she didn't believe him, standing up, she sauntered over to him, leaning in to whisper in his ear,

"Do you think I'm stupid Potter? You can't lie to save your life." He sneered and stepped back,

"We found it. Gonna run and tell your little boyfriend are we?" She smiled,

"Boyfriend? Surely Ron was with you?" Laughing she turned her back to him, saying coldly, "Get the fuck out of my dorm, you twat." Another voice seconded that,

"I think wanker is a better term than that Lover." The sarcastic drawl of the man she loved, she spun on her heel and flung herself into the blondes waiting arms. Harry averted his eyes from the now kissing couple, the sight of it making him want to vomit. He growled and stormed out, shoving Blaise out the way, earning himself a clip round the ear. Blaise rolled his eyes at Hermione and Draco and went in search of something to warm him up, preferably alcoholic. Draco lifted Hermione off the floor and set her on the sofa, peeling off his coat and shirt as he went. She grinned widely, kissing his neck, saying,

"I've missed you baby." He responded by popping the button on her jeans, sliding his hand in. She gasped as he applied pressure to all the right places. He trailed kisses all the way down her stomach, she raised her hips as he slid her jeans from her body. His followed shortly after. He kissed back up to her neck, laying his body flush with hers, she could feel his need for her against her, she groaned. He smiled wickedly,

"I've missed you too Lover." Picking her up from the sofa he laid her on the floor by the fireplace, and removed the rest of their clothing. She watched his eyes in the firelight, they were the most beautiful charcoal grey colour, she could feel his love for her seeping from his skin. It was intoxicating. She hooked her hand round the back of his neck and smashed his lips onto hers, bringing him back against her. With a thrust of his hips, he entered her smoothly, in response she bit down on his bottom lip, drawing blood. From the kitchen Blaise watched them, sipping his drink. He could feel the strain in his trousers and longed to join in the fun, but he knew Hermione needed this time with Draco, their connection having been severed for the past two days. The power that was emanating from the couple was seductive to say the least, he could feel it calling it out to him, willing him to them. He set his drink down and went to sit on the sofa. On the floor, Hermione and Draco were oblivious to the world, her fingers were clawing his back, leaving long red scratches. She hooked her legs around Draco's waist and pulled him deeper in, eliciting a deep moan from the blond. That did it for her, and she tipped over the edge, screaming out his name. He followed her, growling with the effort, collapsing on top of her. He rolled to one side, pulling her to him. She snuggled against him, inhaling his scent, tracing her fingers idly over his chest, memorising every contour of his form. Nuzzling his neck she said breathlessly,

"I love you Draco Malfoy." He smiled and pulled her atop him, kissing her deeply,

"I love you." She wiggled her hips suggestively, he grabbed them, lifting her up and bringing her back down onto him. She sat up, flicking her head back in sheer bliss. Blaise watched them, eyes narrowing, he was about to leave when Hermione's head snapped towards him. She raised an eyebrow, a gesture so reminiscent of the man under her, Blaise's lust was increased tenfold, in between gasps, she managed to breathe out,

"Going somewhere Lover?" Then with one finger beckoned him towards them. Needless to say, Blaise was there in an instant, tearing his clothes off as he went. He knelt down behind her, planting feathered kisses down her neck, she tangled her fingers in his hair, pulling him up to level with her,

"Stop fucking around Zabini, I need you now!" Blaise was only to happy to oblige.

Harry was furious, pacing up and down, pausing every so often to throw something against the wall. He had been locked in the old study at Grimmauld Place ever since arriving back from Hogwart's, he hadn't spoken a word to anyone, and all were concerned about his well being. He, however, was more concerned with Hermione, the image of her kissing Malfoy burned deep onto his retina's, and the look in her eye, it was like the girl he had known for six years didn't exist anymore. He looked at her now and all he could see was a shell, a shade of what she used to be. He looked at her now and all he could see was his enemy, suddenly it was like Harry had an epiphany, that was it, it wasn't Hermione behind her eyes, it was Malfoy. Harry couldn't believe he had been so stupid, Malfoy had to have her under some spell, that was the only reason he could fathom for her sudden dramatic change. Of course, the thought had crossed his mind before but he had waved it off, thinking Hermione to smart to be caught off guard like that, but with everything that had happened since, well, it was the only explanation he could think of. He thought back to his confrontation with Malfoy, the threat he made had clearly been thrown back in his face, Malfoy's presence in the Common Room that afternoon proof of it. Making a conscious decision he walked to the desk, pulled out a parchment and a quill, then began to write, halfway into the letter he stopped. If he sent this letter, it would put Hermione's life in danger, not that it wasn't already, but Lucius Malfoy was a darn sight worse then his shit of a son. His emotions now conflicted he screwed up the parchment and tossed it across the room. Leaning back in the chair, he closed his eyes, there was only one thing to do. He had to get Hermione out of there.

She stirred in her sleep, perfectly content between the two men who had completed her life so fully, all three of them sprawled on the floor, exhausted by their lovemaking. Lazily she opened one eye, it was now late evening, she waved her hand airily, igniting all the lamps in the room, and sparking a roaring fire in the grate. She shivered, extracting herself from the two men holding her, she rose gracefully from the floor, picking up Draco's discarded robe as she went. Pulling it on, she wandered over to the kitchen, poured herself a drink and picked up Blaise's packet of cigarettes, she had never smoked in her life before, finding it a disgusting habit, but regardless of this she tapped one out, put it to her lips and lit it. Taking a long drag, she was surprised at how easily it came to her as if she'd been smoking twenty a day for years, the nicotine stung her lungs, it had an unusual calming effect on her. She downed her drink and then sank onto the sofa, her deep brown eyes fixated on the two naked figures illuminated by the soft glow of the firelight. Their beauty was enrapturing, Blaise blending in with the shadows, smashes of light dancing along his spine, then Draco, his pale skin almost glowing stark white, smooth and shimmering. She was intrigued by their position, in her absence, Draco had slung his free arm over Blaise's waist, spooning his side, they looked perfect. She knew, of course how Blaise felt about Draco, but she never suspected that her boyfriend may reciprocate that feeling. In a way she envied them, they had known each other for so long, they knew each others secrets, things that she had no clue of, a dark stab of jealously pierced her heart, turning her eyes as black as the night. Sensing her sudden anger, Draco bolted awake, his reflex action reaching for her, pulling her into his lap. Her breathing was shallow, he kissed her, then whispered,

"Hermione, baby, what is it?" She stared into his eyes, they shone silver in the half light, his fingers traced lines down her back, releasing calming waves that washed over her. She turned away from him, ashamed of her ridiculous behaviour. His hand cupped her chin, turning her head back, forcing her to look into his eyes, "Tell me," his voice a low purr. She faltered, her eyes returning to their normal colour,

"I didn't mean it, I promise." His worry for her increased tenfold, her voice was barely a whisper,

"What? You didn't mean what?" She stroked his cheek with her fingertips, his skin felt cool, despite the roaring fire, she leaned into him until their foreheads were touching,

"I was jealous," she admitted. He pulled back from her, a confused expression across his face,

"Of?" He leant back into her,

"Blaise. And you." Draco pulled back again, his confusion exchanged for anger, she got up off his lap and walked to the kitchen. He rose from the floor grabbing his boxers up and pulling them on. He followed her,

"Don't walk away from me Hermione. What the fuck would make you jealous of Blaise and I?" His mind was churning, flashbacks of two days previous when he had kissed his best friend. Did she know? He shuddered to think. He didn't know what had possessed him to kiss Blaise like that, but it had felt right in that moment, he had no fucking clue what to do if she left him because of it. He strode over to where she stood and hauled her round to face him, "What made you jealous Angel?" He re-iterated his question, unable to keep the anger from his tone. Her eyes glistened with tears, she shook herself from his grasp and said,

"God Draco, its nothing, its stupid. I..I just was watching you and him sleeping on the floor, you had your arm around his waist, and I was jealous because of your history together. You know things about each other, things that I don't. You've been through so much together and you rely on each other, I felt like I couldn't get close to having that with either of you." She approached him again, and laid her hand gently on his cheek, "Please don't be angry with me." His anger simmered, but he still couldn't believe that of all things she was jealous of him and Blaise. He made a decision then, to tell her about the other day, but to make sure she knew that it had only felt right because they had both been concerned for her.

"I kissed him Hermione." She withdrew her hand, as if she had been burned by him. Behind them Blaise stirred from his sleep, roused by the constant shift in atmosphere in the room, he looked up and saw them, Hermione stood slightly shocked, and Draco, though his back was turned, Blaise could sense the tension by the way he stood. He dared not alert them to his presence, for fear of interrupting a private moment between the two, but what he heard next tore at his heart and clouded his mind.

"You kissed him?" She gasped out. A war was raging in her head, on one side her rational mind was jealous, she didn't like the idea of sharing Draco with anyone, even Blaise. Though there was that nagging voice calling her a hypocrite, she expected Draco to share her, and she didn't expect him to be jealous when she was with Blaise. The other side of her head was lost in an array of increasingly sexy images of her two lovers together, with her a voyeur watching in anticipation. She looked up at Draco again, looked into his eyes, his head was just as conflicted as hers. She asked, "Why?" It was a simple question but it seemed like an age before Draco could come up with an answer, eventually he simply said,

"Because it felt right. It was two days ago when I was leaving. I couldn't bear the thought of it but I had to go. Blaise was with me whilst I was packing. I told him about Potter knowing, we had an argument, I was halfway out the door, but I couldn't leave it like that. So I kissed him, it was only for a minute, but it felt right at the time. Before this, before you I wouldn't have dreamed of ever, ever doing that with another man, but you said it yourself Blaise and I have been through so much together and now we share the one thing in the world I love more than anything. I needed him to know that I was going to make this right. We're stronger together, all three of us together." She pondered his words, she couldn't pretend that it didn't excite her, Draco and Blaise together as well, it made her skin tingle with arousal. She walked back to him, placing her hand on his chest, allowing him to wrap one arm around her waist, pulling her flush against his body. Her mind was swimming, if he wanted them to be together it would mean that he would have to stay, which put them all in danger,

"Draco...what about Harry?" Draco's brow furrowed in confusion, saying,

"Er...I don't want to shag him Love." She smacked him on the arm, and looked up at his face,

"Thats not what I meant. What about him knowing? What about your Father? If he found out, I'd loose you forever." He tilted her head upwards, caressing her lip with his thumb,

"I'm not going anywhere. Don't you worry yourself about Lucius, or Potter. I'm going to take care of it." She smiled, there was no where else she'd rather be then right here in his arms, and she never wanted to leave. Suddenly she sensed a movement behind them, indigo eyes darkened with lust locked with hers, Blaise had awoken. Grinning wickedly at him, something occurred to her, she peered under her eyelashes at Draco,

"As you're staying Lover,...I want to see." She turned her eyes back to Blaise, he followed her gaze. Blaise was advancing towards the pair, light dancing off his skin. Draco smirked, then whispered huskily in her ear, sending shivers down her spine,

"See what Angel?" She blushed a little, it made him chuckle, her eyes were wide and full of lust,

"You know what, I want to see the two of you...you know..."


	17. Chapter 27

**Chapter Twenty-Seven**

Ginny Weasley was nervous. Sat alone in the Gryffindor common room, biting her nails; Harry had once again left her in favour for hunting Horcruxes with her brother, Hermione, well she was to busy fucking Draco Malfoy to care. She was scared; scared of what may happen if she were to give into temptation once more. She missed Blaise, missed him so much it was hurting her inside, not that she'd admit that to anyone. She had made her feelings perfectly clear to him and there was no way he would take her back now. Still a part of her wished, hoped that he may come to her, but it was a fools hope. He didn't need her, not like she needed him. It was like a sickness crawling inside of her, infecting every nook it could find. She would lie awake at night imagining the things he did to her in their brief time together, she shook with pleasure as her body responded to that memory. Even Harry's brief return to her, whispering words full of joy and hope in her ear whilst he made love to her, could not cull the images her mind conjured. The lust in those indigo eyes as he had her against a wall, the first time she allowed Draco and Hermione to watch. That last recollection had made her vault to the toilet to throw up, Harry had followed her, concern in his green eyes. She couldn't look him in the eye for the rest of that night. Unable to concentrate on anything Ginny retired to her dormitory, and tried to sleep, but dreams of the Italian Slytherin kept her awake. She stared at her canopy, wondering what he was doing right that second.

"You know what, I want to see the two of you...you know..." She trailed off, giving Blaise enough time to have reached them; wasting no time he yanked the blonde roughly from Hermione's hold and backed him against the nearest wall. Draco growled at the loss of control and turned the tables, spinning them around, pinning Blaise by the shoulders. Blaise once again saw that same animalistic glint in Draco's eye, before he found his lips being covered by the other man's. Hermione looked on in amazement and burning lust as her two lovers devoured each others lips, totally lost in the moment. She had never seen anything more erotic in her life, and could practically feel the ripples of power eating through the air. It screamed out to her and every instinct in her body was telling her to go to them, but her eyes were glued to the scene in front of her, her feet rooted to the spot. Draco had now dropped his boxers and she could see Blaise's fingers curled around his cock. Draco's head had rocked back and he was groaning. Suddenly his grey eyes, darkened with lust and power, snapped to hers, she smiled. He returned with an answering smirk, raised an eyebrow and said,

"Are you just going to stand there?" She didn't need asking twice, she rushed forward and met his lips in a hard kiss. Draco turned his body to hers, pushing his oversized robe from her shoulders, running one hand up her thigh, his other hooked around Blaise's neck pulling him closer. There was no going back now, this either worked or it didn't, but their relationship would never be the same again. He licked a trail from Hermione's neck to her lips, kissing her again, then leaning back he addressed the both of them, "As comfortable as this wall is, I think it would be prudent to take this upstairs." Not waiting for an answer, he scooped Hermione up in his arms and took off up the stairs, Blaise waved his hand at the fire, which stuttered and died, then followed his two lovers up. Draco already had Hermione under him, doing things to her that had her gasping for air. Kicking the door shut he went to join them and the three lost themselves in each other for the rest of the night.

The worst storm in ten years raged that night. Rain hammered down and the thunder angrily pounded as if hammering on the very sky itself. Harry watched it from the window of the house that had once belonged to his Godfather, the house that now belonged to him. He still had not emerged from the study, his obsession with saving Hermione from the clutches of Malfoy leading him to utter distraction. His mind was working overtime trying to come up with a plan clever enough that Hermione wouldn't see through it, and Malfoy wouldn't figure it out. He had no idea how he was to achieve this on his own, but he decided then and there if worst came to worst, there was one way he knew to break a wizards spell over another, and Harry had been itching for a fight for days. One way or another he would save his best friend, and if killing Malfoy got the job done then so be it. He strode to the study door and pulled it open, making his way to the kitchen, where Lupin and Tonks were engaged in a playful argument concerning ambush tactics. They stopped their banter when Harry walked through the door, he'd been locked in the study for hours and they'd been worried about him. Lupin gave him a genuine concerned 'parent' look,

"Harry, is everything okay? You've been holed up in that study for an age, its not good for you to be cooped up like that." Tonks nodded her bright pink haired head in agreement. Harry grimaced, and said,

"I have to go back to Hogwarts. I'm worried about Hermione, she's trapped there with those fucking Slytherins. Zabini, Malfoy, they are always hanging around her common room, its not safe anymore." Tonks shot Lupin a warning look. They both were aware of Harry's temper especially when it came to one Draco Malfoy, and they were both aware of one thing Harry wasn't, Dumbledore had written three other letters prior to his death. One more to the Order, one addressed to Severus Snape and the last to Draco Malfoy. Tonks looked again at her werewolf partner and both nodded in silent agreement, Lupin sat Harry at the table, and began,

"There's something you need to know Harry. There was another letter to the Order from Dumbledore. It concerned Snape, and Malfoy. He said to trust his instinct, and trust that whatever Snape did it would have been in the best interest of all of us." Harry's knuckles were white from clenching the edge of the table, his anger was bordering on psychotic, but he controlled it enough and let Lupin continue, "He left instructions to Minerva McGonagall on who to appoint Head Boy and Girl this year. He chose Zabini for the job, he put Hermione in with him, in the hope she could turn them. He trusted Malfoy to the end." That was enough for Harry, he pushed back from the table and slammed his fist down,

"WELL IT DIDN'T FUCKING WORK DID IT!! SHE HASN'T TURNED THEM. MALFOY HAS FUCKING TURNED HER! Thats why I'm going back, the bastard has her under some spell. She's been acting off all year, he's done something to her I know it, and I'm going to get her back. If she doesn't come, then thats it. Malfoy dies, no argument." Before they had time to stop him Harry had apparated out of the house. Tonks turned to Lupin panicked,

"You have to go after him! If he kills that boy, then there is no turning back. The guilt will drive him insane. Please go!" Lupin nodded, and followed Harry's trail to the black curling gates of Hogwarts castle.

Ginny had had enough, she couldn't stand it anymore. She had to know. She had to know whether he still wanted her, she didn't think she could exist without his touch for much longer. The dark haired boy was like oxygen to her, she couldn't breathe without him. Throwing her robe on hurriedly, she raced to the Head's common room and hammered on the door. Bleary, eyed and hair mussed the door was opened, not by Blaise though. The grey eyed wonder himself stood in front of her, barely dressed. She averted her eyes from certain areas and tutted. He growled out,

"What do you want Weaselette?" She attempted to push past him to enter, heaven forbid she was seen by a teacher conversing with almost naked Slytherins at this time of night in the middle of a corridor, but he grabbed her around the arms and shoved her back into the wall. His breath was hot on her face, and his voice, low and husky re-iterated his previous question right in her ear. She gazed up at him, fear in her eyes, she was well aware how dangerous this man was, but the sensation his nearness was awakening in her was maddening. She quite forgot what she wanted to say. He shook her out of her trance, "WEASELETTE! I asked you a question. In polite societies it is usual to form some kind of reply. What. Do. You. Want?" He spelled out the question as if talking to a child, she finally got herself together enough to respond,

"I...I want to see Blaise. I need to see Blaise." Draco leaned in again, and said harshly in her ear,

"Sorry Love, you gave up that right when you chucked him for that nancy boy Potter. You had him and you lost him, now be a good little blood traitor and run along. I was in the middle of fucking your former best friend and your former lover." Ginny gasped, his words sending shivers racing across her skin, she looked up into his eyes, and could see the hint of a smirk twitching at the corner of his mouth. Seconds passed, or could it have been minutes, she couldn't tell, his proximity to her was intoxicating to say the least. She could almost taste Blaise in the air that hung between them. He pushed of the wall with one hand and left her there. She tried hard to regulate her breathing, and gain back any sense of perception she had but her head was buzzing with images, so distracted was she that she never noticed two more people descend the staircase, one the subject of all this trouble. Through her haze she heard Malfoy drawl,

"She came back for you Blaise. Little bint wants you back. She's aching for you, you can see it in her eyes." The dark haired Italian sniggered lightly,

"Really? Interesting. What do you think Cara?" She vaguely saw Hermione hovering in the background, one of Blaise's school shirts slung haphazardly on her body, before her vision clouded and she fell to the ground in a dead faint. Blaise's head snapped towards her now prone form, "Well, well, seems like all this excitement was to much." Scooping her up into his arms he planted her on the couch, before turning back to his two lovers, with a very very wicked smirk on his face. Sauntering over to them, he said with a mischievous gleam in his eye, "What fun."


	18. Chapter 28

**Chapter Twenty Eight**

The entrance hall doors flung open, a flurry of rain poured in, soaking the floor. The figure that caused the disturbance strode across the threshold, his green eyes dark with murderous intent. The portraits hid behind their frames, and the Hogwarts ghosts shied away from the sheer anger seething through Harry's veins. He stalked through the hallways heading ever closer the Heads common room, where he knew he would find Malfoy. He didn't have a plan, he couldn't even see straight, all he could see was blind fury. His only thought was getting Hermione out and exacting revenge on Malfoy for even contemplating taking his best friend away. Reaching the portrait, it took all of his self-control to not kick through the door, but his anger stilled enough to raise his fist and hammer on the canvas.

Ginny stirred in her sleep, awoken by the lightest touch running up her leg, turning her head ever so slightly, her gaze was met by the beautiful indigo eyes that haunted her every moment. He smiled that lazy smile at her and immediately she felt her breath return, her senses were alive again, and her heart was hammering in her chest. He leant down and whispered in her ear,

'Welcome back Red. I heard you were looking for me? Care to tell me how come?" She whimpered, his hand had inched slowly up her skirt, resting at the apex of her thighs. He smirked, then said again, "Come on Lover, answer the question. We're dying to know." She bolted up from the sofa, her head whipping around, sure enough perched elegantly atop the kitchen counter was Hermione, watching them with keen eyes; next to her stood Draco, his silver eyes narrowed, a cigarette drooping from his lips. He was smiling, a cruel look of amusement on his face. Blaise grabbed her chin and snapped her head back towards him, leaning in, he kissed her lightly on the lips. She moaned softly, then stuttered out,

"I need you. P..Please Blaise. I can't do this anymore. I can't be without you. Please. Please." He chuckled then rose from his position next to her. He walked to the counter and pulled the cigarette from Draco's lips, taking a long draw from it. His blond lover smirked, Blaise looked at him, then at Hermione, who smiled slyly,

"Well," he said, "What do you think?" Hermione stretched her arms above her head, which considerably tightened and shortened the thin shirt she had on, causing Draco to shift from his position and drag her off the counter to stand in front of him, he dipped his head to her neck, lapping at the exposed skin. She melted into his embrace, reaching her arm around to clutch the back of his head. Her eyes lifted to meet Blaise's, recognising the lust that was growing. She smiled,

"She's all yours Baby. Take what you want." He smiled, then turned to claim his prize. He pulled Ginny off the couch, slung her over his shoulder and carried her to his bedroom, leaving Draco and Hermione alone. The blond smiled at his girlfriend,

"Hmm, that was awfully big of you Angel. Are you really ready to give him up like that?" She grinned cheekily, and kissed him, snaking her hand down his chest, slipping her fingers past the waistband of his jeans,

"Who says we're giving him up?" She whispered huskily. He laughed and hoisted her back onto the counter, his fingers tugging at the hem of the shirt, pushing it past her stomach. He dipped his head and licked up her thigh, before a furious hammering on the door halted his taking any further actions. He growled,

"For fucks sake what now?!" Striding to the door, he threw it open, fully ready to yell at anyone on the threshold. Before he could do anything a fist connected with the side of his head, and all he saw was black.

The portrait door opened, Harry's fist curled, and at the first sign of platinum blond hair, he swung with all the strength he could find. Malfoy was out cold before he could even blink. Harry stepped over his prone form and strode into the room. He was greeted by the sight of his best friend half naked atop the kitchen counter. She looked up and saw him, prompting her to leap up and tug the shirt down to save her modesty. She started forward towards Draco, her anger thunderous, but Harry grabbed her arm stopped her. He pulled off his cloak and tossed it to her, she pulled it round her shoulders then turned to face off with her former best friend. Strangely enough, he was looking at her with pity, she was confused,

"What the fuck Potter?!" She yelled, hopefully loud enough to alert Blaise all the way upstairs, Harry stepped cautiously towards her and said,

"Get dressed and pack your stuff. I'm taking you away from here. Its the only way." She raised her eyebrows in amusement,

"Are you tripping? I'm not going anywere, especially not with you." Harry clenched his fists, and took another step forwards,

"He's put a spell on you Hermione, its the only way to explain how you're behaving. If I take you away, he can't hurt you anymore. You'll be safe. You'll be safe with me and Ron." She couldn't help it, she laughed out loud, out the corner of her eye she could see a shadow on the staircase, and over Harry's shoulder Draco was stirring. Harry took a few more steps forward, he had almost reached her now, she stepped back,

"You're delusional Potter. I'm here of my own free will." He could see her eyes changing colour, darkening, he took that as a sign of a curse. He knew it, Malfoy had cursed her. Harry's heart sank, he had made a promise to himself, though some part of him was relieved, he was going to make Malfoy pay for all that he had done, but first things first, he had to get Hermione out of harm's way. He practically ran to her, curling his fingers around her upper arm, dragging her towards the staircase. She struggled in his grasp, "Get the fuck off me!" She screamed. Over by the doorway, Draco was awake, roused by the scream of his girlfriend. He dragged himself to stand and turned around. In front of him, Potter had Hermione by the arm and was pulling her toward the staircase, at the bottom of which was Blaise, standing his ground, furious menace in his eyes. The pain in Draco's head turned to dark fury and he hauled arse across the room with blinding speed, catching hold of Potter by the hair and tossing him backwards. Hermione was almost dropped to the floor but was caught by Blaise, who had stepped forward into the fray. Draco caught his friends eye, Blaise was angry, his eyes darkened to black. Draco's eyes flashed back the same dark tone, Blaise nodded and threw Draco his wand. His arm raised, the Malfoy heir turned to face his enemy. He growled out,

"Don't you dare fucking touch her again. She doesn't need you anymore. You want her back, you are going to have to through me, and probably Blaise to. Are you man enough for it Potter?" Harry snarled,

"Man enough, Malfoy? At least I don't have to bewitch girls to get them to sleep with me! You better release whatever spell you've put on her, then you and I are going to finish this once and for all." Harry raised his wand, pointed it at Hermione and shouted 'Finite Incartatum', it hit her square in the stomach, she doubled over in pain. Draco was livid, he raised his own wand and shouted,

"Wrong move, wanker!" The atmosphere in the room shifted and the sky outside rumbled and cracked, a vivid flash of red shot across the room and Harry was thrown backwards into the wall. He quickly regained his footing and hit back with a well placed attack, which missed and hit a wall. Stone tumbled down, the noise reverberated around the room and shook the foundations. All to quickly, Draco was behind Harry his arm locked around his throat, choking the life out of him. He tightened his grip and said harshly,

"Are you ready Potter? Say goodbye..." Hermione blinked hard, in front of her lay an impossible choice, support the man she loved, or save her best friend. She blinked again, wishing it would disappear, wishing that her and Draco could just be left to themselves, happy in the knowledge that they could be together without rules, or dangers, but she knew that would never be. Not with Harry hunting them down at every opportunity. So here was her choice, could she stand by and watch her lover choke the life out of her best friend of six years, become the murderer that everyone mistook him for or should she save Harry, the wizarding worlds saviour, their hope to defeat Voldemort. Fortunately for her, at that moment someone else burst through the portrait door, wand in hand. The figure headed straight for Draco and Harry, and in an instant, the person's wand was at Draco's throat, Lupin spoke,

"Let him go Malfoy, or I will finish what he's started no matter how much I object to it." Draco caught her eye, and saw the anguish there, reluctantly he released Harry from the stanglehold he had on him. Harry dropped to the floor gasping for air. Draco put his hands up, turned around and backed up towards Hermione and Blaise. Lupin edged forward and pulled Harry to his feet. "You alright Harry?"

"Yeah." Harry rasped out. Lupin nodded, then rounded on Draco, Hermione and Blaise, he addressed Hermione first,

"Hermione, I don't know what's going on here and frankly I don't want to know, but right now its affecting everyone and that is no good." She fought the urge to whack Lupin herself, she stepped forward and stood next to Draco. He looked down at her and smiled slightly, in that instant she made her choice. She couldn't, wouldn't go back to her old life now, too much had changed. Harry looked at her, and she looked back at him. His heart sank, he could see it behind her eyes, she wasn't coming back, but still he had to ask,

"Well Hermione, I've made it clear what I think. You have to choose. Him or us. You can't have both." She smirked and wrapped her arm around Draco's waist,

"I choose him. I love him." Hearing those three words come from her lips Harry saw red, with lightening quick speed he swiped Lupins wand from his hand, raised it and with all the malice, hatred and disgust he felt he shouted,

"Avada..."

Lupin reached for him.

Blaise stood, his feet rooted to the spot.

Hermione's grip on him tightened.

Draco closed his eyes, ready for it.

"HARRY! NO!!!!!!!" She screamed, he was halted, shell shocked, unable to finish his curse. His eyes fixed at the sight of his girlfriend wrapped in an emerald green robe, stood at the bottom of the stairs. Harry's heart tore in two.


	19. Chapter 29

**Chapter Twenty Nine**

They had heard the fight from upstairs. Blaise, hearing Hermione's shouts was out the bed and dressed in an instant. He had told her to stay put, no use in letting Harry find out about them yet, more fun that way he had said. She had complied up until the point she had felt it. The coming darkness, the deadliest curse. With that she had pulled on the nearest piece of clothing and hurtled down the stairs. Her heart skipped a beat as she heard him start to say it, his wand trained on Draco,

"Avada..." She couldn't let him do it. She stepped out of the shadow and screamed,

"HARRY! NO!!!!!!!" His eyes snapped up and met hers. Hers filled with tears, his filled with something indescribable, pain, darkness, who knew. Then all hell broke loose, Draco lunged forward and tackled Harry to the ground, knocking the wand out of his grasp. Blaise followed behind, wand drawn, anger clouding his mind. Hermione couldn't move, rooted to the spot, disbelieving that her former best friend had almost killed the man she loved, and it was all because of her. She couldn't take it, she ran up to her room and slammed the door shut. Draco was laying into Harry with all his strength, relentless, unyielding. All Ginny could do was watch, Blaise had positioned himself in front of her, protecting her. Finally after what seemed like a lifetime, Draco got up, wiped the blood off his hands and walked to the kitchen. Ginny extracted herself from Blaise's grasp and ran forward, dropping to her knees next to Harry, reaching out tentatively to stroke his face. He turned his head to meet her gaze, her betrayal etched into his eyes. She whispered,

"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry." She kept repeating it over and over. Lupin came over and rested a hand on her shoulder, moving her aside. The werewolf waved his wand over Harry, muttering a couple of healing spells, easing the pain from the beating Draco has given him, he held out a hand and helped Harry up. Ginny was still on her knees, her guilt eating away at her. Harry walked over to her and pulled her to her feet, she looked at him, tears cascading down her face. She then looked at Blaise, Harry followed her gaze to the Italian Slytherin, and let go of her arms. Blaise looked at her, deep down into her soul and said,

"Well Red, looks like he's giving you the same choice he gave Hermione. Me or him? Its your move sweetheart." She looked at him, really looked, he was everything she wanted, everything she yearned for and yet, down in the furthest place in her heart she knew that she wouldn't choose him. It wasn't right. She didn't want to end up like Hermione, waiting for the day when he would leave. She turned back to Harry, then back to him again,

"I...I'm sorry Blaise," she walked over to him, "I can't. This, all of this has made me realise. I don't want you. I just...couldn't see that I had everything already." Blaise nodded darkly, then turned from her and went to his room. She stood in the middle of the common room, tears flowing freely from her eyes. Draco came over to her, and said viciously,

"Take your things and get the fuck out," he looked up to address the other two, "You hear me Potter, get the fuck out." He stalked off upstairs after Hermione, leaving them alone in the common room. Lupin looked at his young friend, the pity he felt for him was overwhelming, no-one so young should have the burdens he did. He laid his hand on Harry's shoulder and said,

"Are you alright?" The dark-haired boy turned to look up at his Father's friend, and nodded, Lupin continued, "That was a God damn stupid thing to do. No matter what he has done it isn't worth you becoming a murderer. You're lucky he didn't hurt you worse then he did. Now, sort yourself out. Both of you. Then meet me in the entrance hall in an hour. I'm going to see McGonagall. This has gone far enough, with any luck, Hermione will be away from those two by the end of the night." He left. Harry turned to his fiance, something unexplainable bubbled within him. Hermione's betrayal had been hard enough to deal with, but his girlfriend's as well, he wasn't sure if he could handle it. He said brokenly,

"Why Gin? Why would you do this?" She came over to him, and said in whisper,

"I don't know. I..." she paused, to choked up with tears to speak, regaining her composure she continued, "I was lonely. You left me. You left me, again. I couldn't stand it, I was so angry with you. I..My head, I wasn't thinking. And then he was just there, wherever I went he was there. Watching me, waiting for me to crack, like he knew what was going to happen. And her, Hermione, she practically pushed me into it. I know its no excuse for what I did, but she, they tricked me. Promised me things that they could never give me. I broke it off when you asked me to marry you. I love you Harry, I do..." she collapsed into tears again. He reached out and touched her face,

"And tonight? You said you broke it off. Why were you here, in his room," he moved his hand to her shoulder, picking at the Slytherin robe around her, "Why are you in his clothes?" He tore the robe from her shoulders, she stood before him in her underwear. "Tell me Ginny, why the fuck were you half naked in his room tonight?! You said you broke it off, why should I believe anything you tell me! I've already been betrayed by my best friend, and now my girlfriend does it to! Give me one good reason why I shouldn't just leave now, tell your family that the reason we're not getting married anymore is because you prefer fucking a Death Eater then me!" She slapped him, then hugged him,

"I'm sorry, please believe me, I never meant for it to happen. It just did. Tonight, that was just, after everything with Hermione and Malfoy, I was just so mixed up, I couldn't think. I want us, Harry, me and you, forever and ever." He nodded slowly, then looked down at her, no matter what she'd done, he still loved her, he caressed her cheek,

"I want us to Ginny. Forever. But, I can't forgive you, not yet. Just give me time. I don't want you to stay here though, you're coming back to Grimmauld Place with me. At least there I know that you're not running off to see him. Now go and get your clothes," he picked up the green robe from the floor, putting it back round her shoulders, "I don't ever want to see you in that again, take it back to him and tell him if he ever comes near you again, I won't hesitate to kill him." She shook from the menace in his voice. He kissed her lightly on the cheek, "I'll be waiting for you." He turned and walked out the portrait door. Shaking she went up the stairs and knocked lightly on Blaise's door.

Draco pushed open the door to Hermione's room, she was lying on her bed, fast asleep. He shrugged off his jeans, slipped under the covers and laid down next to her. She stirred and shifted her position so she was spooning his side, he looped his arm around her, leant down and kissed her forehead. He sat for hours watching her sleeping, the events of the night repeating over and over in his head. He knew now that Potter would never let them be, he knew that Potter was willing kill, cast the most unforgivable of curses rather then see Hermione happy with him, a Malfoy, and a Death Eater no less. It had put her life in danger tonight and that was something he had never intended, he had vowed to protect her, to keep her safe, fat lot of good that did tonight. Draco couldn't let it go, it had to end one way or another. He would die before he'd let something happen to her. These thoughts running through his head, he fell into a very uneasy sleep, hoping that it wasn't the last time he would sleep next to the woman he loved.

"So you see Minerva, there is no way we can allow Hermione to stay here any longer." After the confrontation between Harry and Malfoy in the Head's common room, Lupin had gone straight to the Headmistresses office. He was shocked to find out the extent of Hermione's relationship with the Malfoy heir, either Harry was right and she was under a spell or her mind had been corrupted by the seduction of the dark side. Lupin was no stranger to this lure, his inhibitions severely lowered due to his werewolf side, but he had never allowed it to overcome him. Having thought Hermione to be stronger minded, her defection surprised him. McGonagall sat behind the vast desk, pondering the words of the man in front of her. If what he was saying was true, then Dumbledore's prediction had come true. She could not condone losing one of her brightest students to the dark side, not one of them would recover from that. She looked up to the portrait of her old friend, Dumbledore was dozing lightly, his glasses slipping down his face. It bought a tear to her eye, she looked at Lupin and said,

"It seems that we need a solution to this problem and fast." The werewolf nodded,

"I agree," he said, "But Minerva, how are we going to get Hermione to consent to leave? I doubt, given her current state of mind, that she will leave them without a fight. Unless..." he trailed off.

"Unless?" She asked, Lupin stood up,

"Maybe we don't need to, Hermione, no matter how much she's changed is still Hermione. She'll want to finish her studies, graduate from Hogwarts? She will want to stay here. We just have to remove Malfoy and Zabini." Dumbledore's portrait had awoken and was gazing intently at the pair with interested eyes, McGonagall replied,

"How do we do that? They are no longer of the age or mentality where I can merely expel them. They will find a way to take her from us." They both sat deep in thought for what seemed like an age, when a knock on the door broke their reverie, McGonagall called out, "Enter!" The door swung open, and Harry strode through. He shut the door behind him with a bang and strode into the room, slammed his fist on the desk and said in a low, dangerous tone,

"Call the Aurors now, take Malfoy and Zabini into custody and get them the fuck out of here." McGonagall looked shocked at Harry's outburst, Lupin came to stand behind him,

"Despite Harry's, rather course way of saying it, I am inclined to agree with him." McGonagall nodded slowly, pulled out a quill and a parchment and began a letter to the Minister of Magic himself. Although the Ministry building had been destroyed, the laws that governed the Wizarding world still existed, and one word from Rufus Scrimengour and Aurors would be on site immediately to arrest Malfoy and Zabini. Harry pushed off from the desk, apparently satisfied that the situation was being dealt with accordingly, he said in a slightly smug tone,

"I'll be back to give evidence to the Aurors. I have to escort Ginny back to Grimmauld Place. I'll bring Ron back with me, he'll want to see Hermione." He swept out the room and left for the entrance hall to await his fiance. McGonagall sighed as she sealed the letter, it was with a heavy heart that she sent it off. It was her hope, as it had been Albus's that Draco Malfoy would not follow in the footsteps of his ancestors, but alas it seemed that it was too late for him. Also, Blaise Zabini, who everyone had regarded as the most non-Slytherin, Slytherin the school had ever seen, he had certainly shown his true colours now. She watched the owl fly off into the night and sat back with Remus Lupin to await the arrival of the Ministry officials.

Having not received an answer, Ginny tentatively pushed the door to Blaise's room open,

"Blaise?" She called quietly, entering, his room was dark, she could hardly see a thing. It was cold, freezing and she could hear the rain lashing down. "Blaise?" She called again, a little louder this time. Receiving no answer she hurried around to the night-stand to retrieve her wand, "Lumos!" She whispered, her wandlight casting an eery glow around the room. She gathered her things, hurriedly dressed and was almost out the door, when all of a sudden he was behind her, spinning her round to face him. His free arm slammed the door shut and he used his body to back her up against it. His breath smelt of Firewhiskey and cigarettes, plus something else, she couldn't make it out. It was intoxicating. The look in his eyes was dangerous and she couldn't help the tremor of fear that came upon her, but she had to admit his proximity was making her shake with want for him. He leaned in, so close to her, she could feel his breath tickling her neck. His low voice whispered in her ear,

"Oh Red, I am so going to miss you. I may just have to have you right here against this door, just for old times sake before you bugger off and leave me for that wanker." His tongue darted out and licked the side of her neck. She shuddered, and let out a small, needy gasp. He smirked to himself, dropped his hand to her leg, inching it under her skirt, then whispered again, "Poor little Potty, he's going to have to live the rest of his life knowing that every time he fucks his wife she'll be thinking of me. And you, my sweet, darling little Gryffindor, are going to live the rest of your life knowing that you could have had me forever," His hand had reached the edge of her knickers, his fingertips danced elegantly over the material, he continued again, "Shame isn't it my sweet. I'll think of you, not often though considering I'll be in Draco and Hermione's bed every night. But you, I'll be in your mind when you wake up, when you walk down the aisle, when you live, when your husbands pounding into you." His fingers had now thrust into her, she whimpered and pushed against his hand, he chuckled softly. Her breath was coming in erratic bursts, almost matching the rhythm of his fingers, she came quickly, the desire for him that had built up pushing her over the edge fast. He pulled his hand out, licked his fingers clean, then brought his mouth down to hers, catching her lips in a harsh, bruising kiss that seemed to last forever. Reluctantly he ended it, opened the door and let go of his hold on her. He turned his back on her, and walked out the French doors onto the balcony, taking with him the bottle of whiskey and his pack of cigarettes. She regained her composure and started out the room, pausing to say quietly,

"Goodbye Blaise." With tears in her eyes she fled from that place, knowing that this last encounter would be imprinted in her memory for all of time. He didn't turn at the sound of the door shutting, to engrossed was he in his bottle of firewhiskey, and Italian cigarettes. His gaze stretched over the grounds of the castle, the winter mist cast a sinister picture. He took no notice of it, the evenings events forever changing things for them yet again. He thought about how close he had come to losing Draco, what that would have done to Hermione. He took one last swig, dumped the bottle and made his way to the Head girls room, pushing open the door the dwindling candle light cast a glow on his two sleeping lovers. Draco's arm was slung round Hermione's waist and she was curled into him, as if they were clutching to each other, as if they knew the end was almost near. He entered the room, shutting the door quietly and settled into the chair at the foot of her bed. Watching over them, hoping that the morning would dawn for them. He eventually dozed off, only to be woken two hours later by a loud crash in the common room downstairs. Draco bolted awake, leaping out the bed, he was on his feet, wand in hand in minutes. Hermione also had woken, bleary eyed and worried looking. Blaise and Draco looked at each other, then at her. She looked at them, all of them knowing what was coming, and they were right, moments later a hammering on her door. Followed by a stern voice,

"Miss Granger, this is Kingsley Shacklebolt, open this door immediately or we will be forced to break it down!" She got out of the bed, tossed Draco his clothes and said,

"Run, you have to run, both of you. Now."


	20. Chapter 30

**Chapter Thirty**

"Run, you have to run, both of you. Now." He fixed her with an incredulous stare,

"I am not leaving you here." She looked to them both, her senses shockingly coherent for someone who had just woken up, then said,

"Please. I am begging you both to get out of here now. If I am going to lose you I'd rather we do it on our own terms and not on theirs. I will not let you get taken away by them. Harry, he'll ask for the worst. He won't let you two live." The look in her eye told them that she wasn't to be messed with, she wasn't doing this because she wanted it, she was doing it because it was for the best. Draco pulled on his clothes, shaking his head. Blaise had his hung, defeated by her. The hammering started again,

"MISS GRANGER!" She ran to the door, putting her head close to it, yelling through the thick oak,

"Christ would you give me a fucking minute! I've just been hauled out of bed in the middle of the night. I am not exactly appropriately dressed!" She turned her head to her lovers, a glimmer of a smirk on her face. Draco gritted his teeth, he didn't want to leave her, who knew what torments Potter would inflict on her, he went over to her, held her head in his hands and said,

"Come with us," the smirk faded, tears began to form in her eyes,

"I can't, you know I can't," Blaise coughed,

"Look if we're gonna go, we have to go now! Before those Aurors fucking tear the door down." They both turned to look at him, Draco was almost desperate when he turned back to her,

"Please Hermione. We can go far from here, never come back. We can run together." She leaned up and kissed him gently,

"Draco, baby, we'll find each other again, I swear to you." He knew she wouldn't go with them, the Aurors were here for him and Blaise, not her, and she would never survive living on the run. He knew what that was like, and he never wanted that for her. Hugging her to him, he kissed her, with a fire and passion that she had never felt before, a kiss that would burn into her memory forever,

"The day that this comes to an end. This war. When I kill Voldemort, when I've destroyed everything that associates with him, we'll be together. By midnight on that day we'll be together again, I swear to you Hermione. We'll have that dream my love. We'll be married and this whole fucking world will be ours." The danger in his eyes glimmered so strong, she, then and there almost got on her knees and begged him not to go. But she knew that he had to, but she also knew that he never broke his promises to her. Kissing him fiercely, she said, with a hint of amusement,

"It better be. Now get the fuck out of here." He smirked, kissed her and legged it over to the window, throwing it open, focusing his thoughts and calling a silent summoning spell in his head. Blaise came over to her, kissed her and said,

"Goodbye Cara. Be seeing you." He winked and joined Draco on the balcony, looking down over the edge, he looked at his friend, "Long fucking drop mate." Draco raised his eyebrows,

"Blaise, do you think I didn't come prepared?" Two seconds later his broomstick came whizzing from the direction of the Quidditch pitch, Blaise smiled, hopped the ledge and swung his leg over the handle. Draco turned back to say goodbye. She flung herself forward into his arms, tears freely flowing,

"Please, please be careful," she sobbed into his chest, he tipped her head back to look in his eyes,

"I will, you know I will. I love you Angel. We'll be together again. I'll make it happen." She nodded and kissed him,

"I love you Draco. Go, before it becomes to hard to let go. Go!" He swung his leg over his broom, Blaise was riding shotgun on the back, he turned to him, and said with a smirk,

"Hmm, shame this isn't a less serious situation lover, this could be fun." Blaise raised his free hand, smacked Draco round the head and cried,

"For fucks sake Malfoy get a move on! I don't fancy falling fifty feet from the air when those Aurors smack us with stunning spells. Get your cute arse moving!" They both turned back to Hermione, who despite the circumstances managed a weak smile and a small awkward wave, which was returned with a grim smile from both of them. The door to her room suddenly caved and fifteen Aurors flew into the room. Hermione gasped, Draco kicked the broom into motion and shouted over the ruckus,

"Hermione!" She looked up at him, his broomstick hovering, with a slight sneer he said in a deadly serious tone, "Midnight on that day. We'll dance on his fucking grave." With that they disappeared into the night. In an instant both Harry and Ron were at her side, looking wildly around into the nights sky. Harry swore loudly, then turned back to the Aurors behind him,

"They've gone. They got away." He turned to face Hermione, she was unrecognisable. Despite the fact that the man she claimed to love had done a runner on her, the look in her eyes was pure and unadulterated defiance. He went up to her, grabbed her by the arms and yelled in her face, "You fucking idiot! You let them get away! You fucking helped them!" She began to laugh, she couldn't help it. Harry's face drained of all colour. He let her go and walked back into the room, which had emptied, except for one. Shacklebolt came up to him and said,

"I've sent the team over to the Malfoy Manor. If they go back there, they'll be met with a welcoming committee. If not, well, we'll have alerts put up. They won't get very far." Harry sniggered, clearly this man didn't know Malfoy like he did, there was no chance that they'd even get back into Malfoy Manor,

"Whatever, do you mind giving us a minute. Hermione has to clean up before she can come back with us." It wasn't said with consideration, it was said with disdain, and this shocked the normally passive Kingsley Shacklebolt. He walked out of the room, his perceptions of the young wizard completely altered. Harry waited, closed the door, then turned back to Hermione, who had stopped laughing and now merely looked bored. He opened his mouth to speak but was cut off, by Ron, who said with no trace of the normal tone he used, instead replaced by something cold and almost dangerous,

"Would someone please explain to me, what the hell is going on?"

He looked from his best friend to his girlfriend and back again. Harry was seething, his fists were clenched and he was looking at Hermione like he wanted to throttle her. She was glaring back, a look of fierce and pure hatred back. He said again,

"What the fuck is going on here?" She looked at him, and thats when he saw it, something flickered behind her eyes, and the lights started to waver. He couldn't see the girl he was in love with in front of him. Whoever this girl was, what she was, wasn't Hermione. She chuckled, her eyes darkening, and a very familiar smirk appeared on her face,

"Aww, poor little Ronniekins. He's always the one left out of the loop. Ever wondered why that is love?" She walked slowly towards him, the fact that she was in an oversized man's shirt was not lost on him, she stopped in front of him and reached up to touch his cheek. He caught her wrist in his hand and said in a low tone, one that she had never heard him use before,

"Don't screw around with me Hermione. Something's going on. Tell me this, sweetheart, why were Aurors looking for Malfoy and Zabini in your room? What do they know that I don't?" Harry came up beside them and said cruelly,

"Yes, Hermione, what do you know that he doesn't, huh? Go on, tell him, tell him what you've been doing for the past three months!" Hermione smirked, and Ron realised why he recognised it. It was the same one Malfoy used, every time he insulted him. Hermione laughed, stepped back and said with an almost triumphant tone,

"Do you see it now Ron? All the times I ducked out on you. All the times I wouldn't let you sleep with me. You thought it was because I wasn't ready. Truth? I've been fucking Draco Malfoy, and I loved every minute of it." Ron saw red and leapt across the room towards her. Luckily Harry caught him before he reached her, she wasn't shocked. In fact she found it all amusing, Draco would've relished it. She could imagine what he would have done to Ron, and it made her smile. Harry managed to get Ron out of the room, and she could hear them yelling about her. The dawn sun was piercing through the room. Whistling to herself, she picked out her clothes for the day and skipped to the bathroom.

"HOW COULD YOU FUCKING KEEP SOMETHING LIKE THIS FROM ME!! YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO BE MY BEST MATE!! GOD! I can't...FUCK!" Harry had to duck Ron's fist as it swung towards his head. He reached out and shoved Ron backwards, shouting back,

"I KEPT IT FROM YOU FOR YOUR OWN GOOD!" Another swing, this one connected with the side of Harry's face, rocking his head back, intensifying the headache Malfoy's beating had left him with, Ron kept raging on,

"FOR MY OWN GOOD?! I LOVED HER FOR FUCKS SAKE! AND SHE...GOD SHE BETRAYED ME, WITH, WITH HIM OF ALL PEOPLE! YOU KNEW AND YOU DID NOTHING TO STOP IT!!" Harry stood up and shoved Ron backwards into the wall, he hit it, sliding down to the floor. All the fight left him and he sat with his head in his hands, saying quietly, "How could do this to me? I can't even...it can't be her, he's done something," he looked up at Harry, whose face was grim, he came and sat down next to Ron,

"I tried Ron. I tried to stop it, I came here tonight to finish it. I thought maybe, maybe he had done something to her, so I confronted them. He claimed he did nothing, that she came to him on her free will. I didn't believe it, but it was true she was clean of anything. I forced her to make the choice, him or us. She chose him, and tonight she helped him and Zabini escape." Harry left out the part about Ginny, it was to fresh to deal with right now. Ron hung his head, he had loved her, did love her and all the while she had been laughing at him, he could feel the cold stab of betrayal seep through him. He looked at Harry,

"So what now? What do we do with her? For all we know Malfoy has corrupted her mind, turned her. We can't trust her now." Harry shrugged his shoulders,

"I don't know. I don't know if we can. But, I hate to say this, we still need her. We're no closer to finding the last Horcrux, she may be willing to help us."

"I doubt she'll help us willingly. After all, **he** wanted something in return," Harry stood up and walked over to the dormitory door. He could hear Hermione singing quietly to herself. He knocked, and waited for an answer. The door opened and she stood in front of him wrapped in a bath towel, the look of annoyance on her face was indescribable,

"I'm busy, what do you want?" She said brusquely, Harry spat back,

"Get dressed, pack your things and come out. Five minutes or I'll drag you out. Alright?" She slammed the door shut in his face, he fumed, then turned to Ron, "Go and get McGonagall, w are going to sort this out. I am not going to lose her to the dark side. We'll make her come around. She has to." Ron made to protest, but Harry silenced him, "Look, you can deal with her later, right now we need her help." Ron nodded,

"Do you think we can get her back?" Harry frowned,

"I hope so."

She listened, with her ear flat against the door, so those idiots thought they could bring her back to the fold. That she'd just throw everything she had with Draco and Blaise because it was the 'right' thing to do. Fuck the right thing to do she thought. She was fed up of doing the right thing. Oh she'd go back to them, she'd string them along just as she had for the past few months, then when that night came. When the man she loved destroyed Voldemort, she would turn on them and do whatever Draco asked of her. Smirking to herself she went to her dressing table and pulled out the chain that had his ring dangling on it. The ancient Malfoy ring, passed down through generations of purebloods. Holding it up in the light, the emerald glittered in the low winter sun. She unclasped the catch and put the chain around her neck, she would wear it until she could return it to him, wishing it be sooner rather then later. She got dressed and ready, taking no care to keep to her allocated five minutes. Twenty minutes passed before she was ready. Picking up her small suitcase from the bed she walked to the door and wrenched it open.


	21. Chapter 31

**Chapter Thirty**

They hadn't travelled very far, merely to the outskirts of the village, finding a safe spot to apparate out from. They appeared seconds later in the entrance hall of Malfoy Manor, deciding it best they hide out here until those twits from the Order figured out how to bypass the wards Draco had set up. Almost as soon as they arrived, Draco stormed off and locked himself in his Father's old study. Blaise thought it best to leave him to stew and so left him for the rest of the day. Snapping his fingers for the house elf to take his bags to the guest room, then wandered off in search of some form of nourishment. He had made it all but three feet when Draco's personal house elf popped up in front of him and said,

"Mr. Blaise, Sir. Is there anything that I can get you, Sir. Mr. Draco tells me to give you anything you need!" Blaise looked down at the shriveled creature with disdain, waved his hand and said,

"No. Bugger off," the elf began to scurry down the passage when Blaise turned around, "Wait! On second thoughts, you can tell 'Mr. Draco' that I want to see him. I'll be in the library. Now!" The elf ran off. Blaise continued his journey, however he decided against the kitchens and went instead to the Malfoy's vast wine cellar. Picking out an Italian red, he went to the Manor's library and settled himself in front of the fire to await Draco. The evenings events weighed heavy on his mind, Potter had finally succeeded in driving them away. Hermione was trapped by those two morons until they could figure out a way to get her back. Draco's promise to her echoed in his head, midnight on the last day of the Final Battle, when Voldemort was dead, they'd be together again. Blaise hoped they'd see her before then, he didn't think Draco would cope without her. The stress of what had happened lulled him into a deep sleep. An hour later he was woken by the doors to the library being slammed open. In came a rather intoxicated Draco, a half full decanter in his hand. He walked or rather stumbled in and sat across from him,

"Whaddya want?" He slurred out, Blaise grimaced in slight disgust. He'd seen Draco drunk before but this was something else,

"You look awful. I don't really think getting blind drunk is going to help this situation. Do you?" The blond shrugged, raised the decanter and smirked, taking a swig he said,

"Works for me." Blaise got up and took the bottle from his friend, then hauled him to his feet by his collar,

"Snap out of it Malfoy! This isn't going to help us get her back! Nor is it going to help end this war any faster! Go sober up then come back here when you feel like being useful. Get out of my sight, you're making me nauseous." He let go of Malfoy's shirt, then walked off into the stacks before Draco could compose himself enough to have some form of drunken retaliation. Leaning against the shelves, he pulled out a cigarette and lit it up. Taking a long drag he looked around him, he wasn't about to just let go, sit around and do nothing until the day of the Final Battle arrived. The Malfoy library was vast, far surpassing Hogwarts library in its variety, frankly he'd be surprised if there wasn't anything that would help them find the last Horcruxes. He knew that the seventh and final one was Voldemorts disgusting snake, Nagini, destroying her would be a much harder considering the Dark Lord kept such a watchful eye on her. However they still had the bigger problem of discovering the identity and whereabouts of the item of Gryffindors. No clues as of yet had surfaced, it could be anything that belonged to the founder. The locket was a different story, Draco had told him that it had last been known to be in the possession of the Black family, after that it disappeared. Blaise assumed it was still circulating somewhere in one of the properties owned by Draco's relatives. Unfortunately for them there was no-one they could ask without arousing suspicion, so Blaise was set to spend the next however long researching until they could find a solution, until they could find a way back to her. He went back and settled in the armchair, once again succumbing to sleep. Waking the next afternoon to a tapping at the window. His owl, with a letter from Hermione.

"For FUCK's sake Hermione, look at what he's done to you!" She stood in the doorway of her room, Harry, Ron and McGonagall standing in front of her. McGonagall had given up trying to stop the row that had begun. Harry was blazing at her, and she was just as angry. Her eyes were black with rage, and the air around them crackled with power, Ron was nursing cut on his forehead where she had smacked him straight into the stone wall. Smiling, almost coyly, she said back with venom,

"What he's done to me? What hasn't he done to me?! He's given me everything you and Mr. Pathetic over there couldn't! He allowed me free reign over what I have, and its delicious. So fuck you if you think I'm going to come back with you and play happy families, you're more stupid then I already thought." Ron was blind with rage,

"So what darling, you open your legs for a Death Eater and suddenly the world makes sense? You're fucked in the head Sweetheart! Get over it and move on, cos you're coming with us whether you want to or not." Harry nodded agreement, then said maliciously,

"Always the coward is Malfoy, didn't even stay and fight us. Quite the man. You're an idiot to think that he could ever want you," the expression on his face softened, twisted into some kind of grim smile, "You're lucky you know? You've got friends who actually want you back after you've betrayed them, you've got a family who loves you and Ron, even he is willing to put this behind him and move on with you. All you have to do is say sorry and promise to try. We need you Hermione, we need your help. Voldemort is going to take over this fucking world if we don't stop it! I know that we've crowded you before, I know that you felt smothered by us. What you did..." he paused, looked over at Ron, his expression was unreadable, but he was looking at Hermione like he was seeing her for the first time, Harry continued, "What you did with **him, **it was stupid and dangerous, you knew the consequences and to be honest I'm surprised he didn't kill you. To him you're disgusting, dirty, he was using you to get what he wanted. That's why he ran so easily. Forget about him Hermione, forget about him and come home with us. Please?" Hermione was slightly shocked, the supposed saviour of the wizarding world was practically begging her to come back with them, be a part of the team again. The weakness in his voice made her feel ill, he was so utterly desolate without her, it was almost funny. She looked up at her former best friend, there were tears in his eyes, she held back the urge to laugh. She was about to retaliate, violently if necessary, when Ron came over and stood himself in front of her. She looked in his blue eyes, such a horrible dull colour compared to Draco's, he was staring at her with a look in his eye that she had never seen there before, it was something between disgust and forgiveness, he reached out and caressed her cheek,

"Look at me Hermione, if you tell me, here and now that what you truly want is Malfoy, then we can't do a damn thing about it. But if there is some part of you, some remote part that knows what you did was wrong, that he was manipulating you, controlling you in some way, then please come with us. We can work together to bring Voldemort down, make this world safe again. Isn't that what you want? Isn't that why you're still here?" Inwardly she was smirking, Draco would love this, she was the one who had done them the injustice and they were groveling at her feet, human weakness, it made her sick. She decided then that she would trick them, make them think that out of Draco's influence, she was the old Hermione again. Then when she was reunited with her lover it would make it all the sweeter to see their belief in her crumble and fall. Then Draco would destroy them, and she would watch in adulation. Ron shook her out of her reverie, "Are you listening?" She nodded, squeezed out a few fake tears for effect then said in a small pathetic tone,

"I'm sorry. To both you of you. I'm sorry for all this trouble I've caused. I want to come back with you, I want to help destroy Voldemort." Harry and Ron smiled in triumph, then hugged her. Harry pulled back and said sternly,

"However, you have to promise us that even if such occasion arises, you will stay away from Malfoy. Zabini to." She nodded eagerly then said sweetly,

"I swear to you." Harry beamed,

"Good, now have you got everything packed?" She nodded, then suddenly frowned,

"Wait, what about school? I can't just forget about my N.E.W.T.S! I have to study for them!" From her position as an onlooker McGonagall stepped forward, and said,

"Ah, well, I have devised a way for you to do that from Grimmauld Place Hermione. I shall bring you the work you need everyday, and you be shall be tutored by Order members who have time to spare. Miss. Weasley shall also be joining you in these sessions." Sounded fair enough to Hermione, if she was going to be without Draco and Blaise, she needed something normal to focus on.

"Thank you, Headmistress," McGonagall smiled at her wearily, then left the reunited Golden Trio. Hermione turned to Harry and said, "Do you mind if I write a quick letter to my parents? I need to tell them what's going on, they'll be worried if they can't reach me at school." Harry flashed a suspicious look, hid it quickly then said,

"Of course. We'll drop it in at the Owlery on our way through. We'll meet you outside." She smiled then went back into her room, found two pieces of parchment and a pen, she hadn't time for quill and ink at the moment. Once she was sure Harry and Ron were out of the vicinity, she ran through into Blaise's room, where his owl was sat sleeping on a perch in the corner of the room. She sat at his desk and scribbled a note to her lovers. Tying it to the leg of the owl, she whispered to it,

"Find them, wherever they are." The owl hooted dolefully and flew off. She sat back at the desk and wrote a less lengthy note to her parents,

_Mum, Dad,_

_The situations changed, I'm leaving school for Headquarters. Don't worry, I'll be fine. If you need me, send any mail to McGonagall, she'll forward it onward. Be careful, the worlds dangerous, if you can up and leave, go somewhere else. _

_Be safe,_

_Hermione_

She bewitched the page so no one but her parents could read it. She stood up, hastily shoving the letter in an envelope, went back to her room and collected her things to meet Harry and Ron.

No-one, Harry, Ginny, Ron, Lupin and McGonagall knew what had transpired at Hogwarts, however no-one questioned the decision to pull Hermione and Ginny out of school, the rest thinking that it was better for Ron and Harry to have their girlfriends around, plus the more hands on deck the better. Ron had even told her in private that he still loved her and wanted to be with her. She had of course smiled sweetly and lied through her teeth, in an attempt to make this as easy on herself as she could,

"I still want to be with you to. I don't know what came over me, it was like I don't know. When he was with me, I felt like I had no control. Maybe I was to blind to see, maybe he did do something to me." Ron had hugged her and said cryptically,

"Well, we'll know soon enough." To this she had given him a puzzled look, he had chuckled, taken her in his arms and kissed her. He had made love to her for the first time that night, she had just lain there, trying to block out his touches, closing her eyes and thinking of Draco. He had left her after, unsatisfied, she hadn't expected anything else of him. Nothing could compare to Draco, he was her everything, her world, and if Harry and Ron were stupid enough to believe that she had come back to them, then earth be damned, Voldemort deserved to win. Unfortunately, that reality was looking more and more possible each day, she knew that Harry had hit a block with the Horcrux hunt, and his and Ron's inability to research properly wasn't exactly helping progress. She had to laugh to herself, how two inept cretins had gotten as far as they had was beyond her, but then she had been there to help them, not to mention the help they had received from Draco. Yet they still hadn't managed to further their knowledge, and that was why they needed her.

Now here she was three days later, cooped up in the musty bedroom she had inhabited over summer. Endless volumes procured from the Black family library strewn across the floor. She hadn't found anything else that was useful, apart from a possible description of the item of Gryffindor's. It was something Slytherin had stolen from him when he fled the school all those centuries ago. The description indicated that it was a priceless antiquity, a clasp in the shape of a Phoenix, made from gold. She figured Voldemort used it for a Horcrux, probably seeing it as some kind of triumph over the Order. Everyday that passed was one day closer to the Final showdown between dark and light. Voldemort had made the first move by destroying the Ministry, and the Order hadn't lifted a finger to retaliate. She felt as though she was surrounded by retards. She missed Draco and Blaise, she missed the fire she felt when she was with them. Her dependency on what they gave to her, both physically and mentally, was like a drug, and without them she was going into withdrawal. Some days she didn't even feel like getting up. But then something happened that changed all that. Something that swung the fortunes of one side dramatically, and brought them all one step closer to inevitability.

Blaise bolted to the window and tore the letter from the black owls leg. He legged it from the library to Draco's room, he burst through the doors, only to find Draco still passed out on his bed. Smiling slightly, he went over and lightly ran his finger down Draco's back, before nudging him in the shoulder with his elbow,

"Oi, sleeping beauty, wake up. Hermione's sent us a letter." His blonde lover bolted awake in an instant,

"What! What did she say?!" Blaise chuckled,

"Calm down lover. I haven't read it yet, I came straight here," the look on Draco's face was like an excited child on Christmas Day, Blaise opened the letter and began to read,

_To my sexy Slytherin men,_

_I hope you made it safely, I assume that you have returned to Malfoy Manor. Be careful, the Aurors have a team working on cracking the wards. I miss you already. Those two idiots have made for a reconciliation. It was pathetic, I wish you both could have been there to see my power over them. They are dragging me away from school to Order HQ. I relish the day when we can be together again. Don't go having to much fun without me. I'll think of you both, what you do to me. I can still feel you inside me. I won't ever forget._

_Stay Safe,_

_All my love,_

_Hermione_

Draco smiled, she was playing the wonder twits to her advantage. Clever girl, he'd taught her well. He looked over at Blaise, who was smiling at him. Draco could still feel them both, the power that they created when they joined, it was addictive. He needed it, like a junkie. His eyes darkened with lust, and he looked at Blaise with a predatory stare. Blaise flashed an answering look, then pounced, pinning the blond to the bed, whispering huskily in his ear,

"Tell me lover, tell me what you're going to do to her when we're together again." He pushed his hips forward, then licked the side of Draco's face, before catching his lips quickly in a lust fueled haze. Draco grinned, then proceeded to tell Blaise exactly what he would do.

_AN: Hey everyone, Thanks so much for all your reviews, they are so nice and I'm glad that so many people are enjoying this story. Unfortunately it is very near the end, BUT never fear because I already have a sequel in my head and will begin writing it as soon as this one is done! Anyway Thanks again, much love, sarah xxx_


	22. Chapter 32

**Chapter Thirty Two**

It had been two weeks since she had left Hogwarts, two weeks she had been without Draco and Blaise, her patience was wearing thin. Christmas was looming, but not one person around was in the festive mood. The Order were frantic, reports were coming in thick and fast from all sources, something huge was happening. Hermione stood in the kitchen, watching the people buzzing around her, all of them clutching various pieces of parchments, owls were flying around her head constantly. No-one really knew what was happening, only one word and one number were getting through. _Endgame7. _Every single report that was coming in said that one phrase. The seven, they assumed referred to the seven Horcruxes, but the word was a mystery. She had heard it before, the password to the Slytherin common room, of course she didn't tell anyone that. It was much more fun watching their constant failed attempts at deciphering its meaning. Even she didn't know its entire meaning, and that frightened her a little. Though the end of the conflict between good and evil would mean that her and Draco could be together, it still petrified her that she could lose him. If his side found out what he did, and what he wanted, he would be killed on the spot, and then they would come for her. She turned as someone tapped her on the shoulder, it was Lupin needing her help with yet another communication from various Aurors stationed around the country where Death Eater activity was rife. This one was the same as the others, some garbled information, then ENDGAME7, scrawled in black letters across the parchment. Frustrated she shouted at her former Professor,

"Its all the same! There's no new information coming in! What's the fucking point of sitting around here staring at pages and pages that all say the same bloody thing!" Everyone in the kitchen turned and looked at her, all of them slightly taken aback by her outrage. The room began to shake with her anger. She could feel Harry and Ron's accusing stares at her, glaring back, she screwed up the piece of parchment and threw it in the air, where it promptly caught fire. Swivelling on her heel, she strode out from the room. Those left in her wake watched as the parchment fell to floor, as nothing but ash.

She stormed up the stairs and went to her room, the door swung open before she touched it, her power blowing it open for her. She kicked it shut behind her with her heel. The world in her head was darkening, she felt the walls closing in on her. She couldn't stand much more of this. Harry and Ron always watching her, waiting for her to slip up, or waiting for something that would tell them of her true allegiance. She knew they didn't trust her, they wanted to, but right now they didn't. She desperately wanted to see Draco, almost to the point that she had packed her bag ready to find someway to get to him, but she had no idea where to go. She couldn't be certain that they had gone to the Manor, for all she knew they could be anywhere. She had had no reply to her letter, so she wrote another after a week and a half of not hearing from them. She didn't receive a reply to this one either, though she wasn't sure whether letters from unauthorised sources would get through. She paced up and down, racking her brains for some hope in this mess of an existence. _Tap. _She spun around, _tap, _Draco's owl, at her window. That answered her question about them not being able to get letters to her. She tore across the room and wrenched the ancient window open, almost pulling it from its hinges, the owl hopped in and stuck its leg out obediently. She pulled the letter from its leg and opened it, there was a huge ink blot on the page, she shook it. The blot began to swirl, words, penned in Draco's elegant script, began to form in front of her eyes, she read them quickly.

_Hermione,_

_ We're back at the Manor. I'm going crazy. I miss you everyday. You're letter was a Godsend, I was, well lets just say I've been pretty much a mess without you. Blaise has had to stop me jumping on a broom and scouring the countryside for you. He's sleeping next to me now. He misses you to, he doesn't show it but I know. I feel it in him everyday. Be careful Lover, the Dark Lord is readying his army, he's planning an assault. I can't tell you where, we haven't been told yet. Keep searching for the final Horcruxes, God knows we could use your insider knowledge. I promise that we'll come back to you. Be patient Angel, we'll be together again soon. _

_All my love,_

_Draco_

It was short, but it filled her heart, they were alive, and they working tirelessly to finish this and get back to her. She stopped, there was a post-script, added after the letter was written. It was in Blaise's hand, the words forming out of a blood red ink spot, it said three things.

**ENDGAME7-HOGWARTS**.**TONIGHT**

The parchment fell from her hands, realisation spread through her. The Slytherin password, to the House dormitories, within the school, and the seven wasn't the number of Horcruxes. It had been seven weeks to the day since the first attack. This was the second wave. She tore from the room and burst through into the kitchen. The whole buzz in the room stopped, everyone turned to look, she said breathlessly,

"Its Hogwarts. They're going to attack the school. Tonight."

Draco and Blaise had been holed up in the library researching for what seemed like to them a decade. It had been a useless waste of time and Draco was getting frustrated. Most of his days were spent in a drunken haze, he had smoked more cigarettes then he cared to count. His nights were spent in similar fashion, though he locked himself in his Father's study and tore the room to pieces before rebuilding it again the next morning so he could repeat the process that night. After a week of this same routine his drunken outrages worsened, he'd tear the study apart, then start on his Father's room. Then he'd tear out the house broom over his back vowing to not stop until he had found her. Blaise had had to practically drag him back by his hair. Which of course had led to blazing rows between the two of them, and that usually led them to Draco's bed, where their anger would burn and dissipate into raw, unadulterated lust. Usually Draco was the instigator, his need for some connection to Hermione was all consuming, and Blaise was his only link, when they fucked Draco could still feel her in his veins, in the power that radiated when they came. Blaise let him work out his frustrations, his love for Draco Malfoy outweighing any reason. He missed Hermione to, but he couldn't let it show, he had to be there for Draco. He was barely functioning. Drunk all day, destroying the house. He was worried. Then another letter arrived from her, it was addressed to Draco. Blaise thanked the Gods, if anything would snap him out of it, it was this. He went to the study during one of Draco's more violent rages, and tentatively knocked on the door, he was received in a less then friendly way,

"FUCK OFF." Blaise growled then kicked the door down,

"I AM NOT GOING TO TOLERATE THIS ANYMORE MALFOY! You've got to stop this, you're killing yourself!" His reply was a smack to the face before he was slammed up against the wall, one hand wrapped around his throat,

"I TOLD YOU TO FUCK OFF!" Blaise looked in his eyes, the charcoal grey had burned to black, and his lover had become unrecognisable. Blaise struggled, he twisted to pull the letter out of his pocket, he waved it in front of Draco's face. The blond stopped, and let him go, grabbing the letter from his grip. Blaise fell to the floor choking, he looked up, Draco's now grey eyes were scanning the text quickly. He dropped the parchment in front of him, then looked down at the dark haired man, who despite having been attacked chuckled,

"You gotta stop doing that to me man. I don't know that my lungs can take it. Smokings a killer you know," Draco smiled a little, Blaise indicated the letter, "What did she say?" Draco bent and picked it up, then read,

_Draco,_

_ I don't know how much more of this I can't take, not knowing if you're alright or not. I lie awake at night wishing you were next to me. Please Baby, let me know you're okay. Somethings going to happen, I can feel it. I'm scared Draco, please, please promise me you'll be careful. I don't know if you'll be able to get a letter to me. Order HQ is in London, but I can't tell you where. Just try and send me a letter, please, so I know. I love you._

_Yours forever,_

_Hermione_

Blaise pushed of the floor and stood, then came to stand by his friend,

"Well, at least we know where HQ is. Do you think you're owl will be able to find it?" Draco turned to him and nodded. Blaise smiled, then said, "So, will you stop this now? You can't keep doing this, its self-destructive, and its not helping. Come on, you've not eaten for days, let me cook you something." They made their way to the kitchen. Draco slumped in the old armchair that sat in the corner. His eyes were faraway, and he could hear Blaise talking to him but he didn't react. Just sat and stared into the fire. He didn't register when the famous Zabini spaghetti carbonara was set down in front of him. Blaise snapped his fingers in front of Draco's face,

"Hey! Eat up before it gets cold." Reluctantly he began to spoon forkfuls into his mouth. They didn't say a word to each other throughout the entire meal, when they were done Blaise said quite sternly, "Draco, please, talk to me. I know this is hard but you can't walk around here raging. Then sitting here like a fucking zombie. I can't stand seeing you like this." Draco chuckled,

"What am I supposed to do Blaise? We're no closer to finding the Horcruxes. Without them, we've got no hope of destroying Voldemort. I promised her Blaise, I promised her that this world would be ours, and I've let it slip. We should never have left her behind. Now she's back with Potter and Weasley, they'll poison her against us. They'll take her back." Blaise let out an exasperated huff,

"For fuck's sake, do you really think that little of her?! After all we've been through she would not just give up!" Draco sat forward, a grim look on his face, his anger was stirring again,

"Don't you dare accuse me of not thinking about her, she's all I fucking think about! I just know her alright, she's too smart, she'll figure out that they were right all along or something. I couldn't stand it, seeing her with them. Fighting for them. And what if..." He trailed off, hanging his head in defeat. Suddenly he realised what this was all about, he raised from his position by the fire and came to sit in front of the armchair, he put his hand on Draco's thigh, looking up into his eyes,

"What if she stops loving you? What if you lose her?" Draco looked up at him and smiled grimly, Blaise nodded, "I thought as much. You can't fuck me around Malfoy, I've known you too long. I thought I knew you better, this isn't the person I grew up with. You're stronger then this. Show her that, she needs you to stay strong for us. She didn't fall in love with either of them, she fell in love with you. She's smart enough to know that you're the better choice. You're going to write her back and tell her that. Understand?" Draco laughed lowly, leaned down and kissed Blaise lightly,

"I understand you sentimental wanker. Now, you coming upstairs? Or do I have to screw you on this nasty cold stone floor?" Blaise grinned, the spark was back in Draco's eyes, he stood up and pulled the blond up with him, kissing him harshly. Pulling back he grinned,

"Abso-fucking-lutely."

The room was dark, cold. The only light emanated from the few flickering candles set into the walls. There was a huge oval table in the centre. Six men and one woman sat around it, the seven chosen. At the head of the table sat a figure so pale, so gaunt, one may think him a ghost. But, there he sat, flesh and blood, not human, not inhuman, hovering in between. The Dark Lord Voldemort, his red snake eyes ever watchful of his 'trusted' servants. The seven around the table were his inner circle, the ones he trusted most, though his pride and cleverness disallowed him from fully trusting any other living thing, save his skulking python. He began to speak, his voice a hoarse rasp, that raised the hairs on anyones neck,

"My loyal servants," he looked to them in turn, "Severus, Lucius, Carlo, Rodolphus, MacNair, Nott and lastly Bella, my lovely Bella." The seven rose and bowed their heads in reverence, Voldemort waved his arm and they sat. He continued, "Tonight we will begin the second wave. Tonight shall be my greatest triumph so far. I am entrusting you, my most trusted servants, to lead the assault. You shall be the Generals my army. Tonight Hogwarts will burn to the ground. We triumphed when Dumbledore was slain, now let us destroy everything he worked for. The school shall be cleansed, mudbloods, half-bloods, blood traitors, they will perish in fire. Then, then my friends, we can re-build, in my name." The seven clapped politely, they were in awe, this plan, it was genius. Voldemort turned to Lucius and Carlo, "Lucius, Carlo, your sons, they are still in place at the school?" Lucius shook his head,

"I am afraid, they are not my Lord. We received word from one of our spies from the defunct Ministry, that Aurors raided the Heads Rooms at he school on Potter's orders. Draco and Blaise escaped thankfully. I believe that they are residing in the Manor. I can have them summoned here immediately if that is what you wish?" Voldemort waved his hand, in disagreement,

"There is no need, I shall summon them when I call to order my army. They are to have the honorable positions of leading the younger ranks that are already in place at Hogwarts. They shall be instrumental in the destruction of that establishment." Lucius and Carlo nodded, and said their thanks. Lucius privately resolved to write to Draco and remind him of his duty towards his Lord. The boy had been unpredictable of late, leaving school then returning unexplained, sending his wife of to the mental ward. Something had happened to his son whilst he had been incarcerated, Lucius feared that if Draco became uncontrollable, it would not bode well for those that had slighted him. The meeting continued, matters such as tactics and instructions for entering the school. The candle light flickered over the Dark Lord's features, casting a sickly glow on his pale face. His face cracked into an evil smirk, that even had his servants quaking in fear. Pulling his wand from his robes he cast his Dark Mark into the sky, whispering the incantation for calling his Death Eaters to him. Calling them to his service for this most important mission. And the name for this particular mission. The word, ripped from Snape's head through Occlumency, a long used password for the Slytherin dormitories, his snakelike hiss rasping it out,

"Endgame."


	23. Chapter 33

**Chapter Thirty Three**

"Draco," He prodded him in the arm, "Draco, wake up," another prod, Draco grunted and turned over, then mumbled,

"Fuck off, I'm sleeping." Blaise kicked him in the leg,

"Get up, for fucks sake. Didn't you feel it? We've gotta go." The blond stirred and sat up, shaking out his arm that had gone to sleep,

"Feel what?" Blaise looked pissed off, and was grabbing up his clothes that had been strewn across Draco's room the night before,

"That shooting pain you feel in your arm?! Draco, its him. We have to go." Draco did a double take then automatically looked down, the mark scorched in his skin was writhing and turning black, burning as it went. He shot out of the bed and pulled a couple of garments from his wardrobe, his dark Death Eater cloak among them,

"Damn it!" Blaise was loitering by the door watching with haughty annoyance on his face. After several minutes Draco was ready, and they both apparated out with a crack, landing with practiced grace in the entrance hall of the Riddle house. The house was buzzing, there were people everywhere. Draco grimaced, a gathering like this could mean one thing and one thing only. The Dark Lord was mustering his forces, he was getting ready to make his next move. Through the throng of cloaked people scurried a squat, rat-like figure, headed straight for them, he spoke with a tremble to his voice,

"Master Malfoy, Master Zabini, his Lordship wishes to see you in the drawing room immediately." Blaise and Draco looked at each, then down at Wormtail with disgust, shoving him aside, the two young men made their way through the house. Stopping in front of a pair of ornately carved double doors, Draco had barely raised his hand to knock when the door swung open automatically, and a sinister voice rang out through the darkness,

"Ah, my young friends, come in." They stepped warily into the centre of the room, the door behind them shut with a bang, in front of them, sat in a high backed leather armchair was Voldemort, sallow skinned and red-eyed. Draco and Blaise bowed their heads in fake respect,

"You called for us my Lord, what is it you require?" said Draco questioningly. The Dark Lord chuckled,

"So eager young Malfoy, just like your Father was when he was first in my service," Draco cracked his face into a humble smile, though inside his head he was imagining throttling the thing where he sat, Voldemort smiled evilly, "Well, being as cunning and as Slytherin as the two of you are, you may have already figured out that I am planning the next wave of my attack against the Wizarding world." Blaise stepped forward, a look dripping with awe and amazement on his face,

"We have deduced that something is going on my Lord," Draco fought the urge to snigger, Blaise's loyal servant act was so good that he put the Dark Lords real followers to shame. Voldemort stood and started towards the fireplace, turning his back to them, the two men looked at each other, then back towards the skulking creature that so many served. He Who Must Not Be Named was watching the flames, light flickered across his face, illuminating the inhumanness of it, Draco repressed a shudder, he never wanted that thing in front of them to get hold of Hermione, the torture he would inflict on her would be dire. Blaise could feel the tension in the room mount, Draco was close to breaking point and the air around them began to shudder. He whacked the blonde on the arm, it wouldn't do to lose control like that in front of Voldemort, the though of the consequences it would bring was making him ill to think of it. Luckily Voldemort was to engrossed in his own brilliance to notice the shift in the atmosphere. Seeming to remember that they were there, he turned to address them,

"Tonight, my sons, will be to beginning of the end for those who oppose us. Tonight shall see the dawning of a new era of wizardry. You two will be at the heart of it, instrumental in the execution of it. Hogwarts castle will fall and all those unworthy will be purged. It will be my finest achievement. I wish for you to return to the school tonight and to rally those in the noble house of Slytherin, those who wish to fight for what is true in this world. I ask you now, do not hesitate to destroy those who get in your way. Show no mercy. What say you my young friends?" Draco held back the bile that rose in his throat, all those children, granted Draco had never really liked the younger kids at school but to slaughter them because this thing thought them unworthy, it was sickening. Blaise looked at his blonde lover, the look in Draco's eyes was enough to know that he was thinking the exact thing he was, this plan was disgusting, dirty, and it made him sick to his stomach. But to achieve what they wanted, they had to agree. Holding their heads up high, they nodded, Draco stepped forward and said,

"Do you wish us to leave now my Lord? How long should we wait before we begin to attack?" The words tasted like ash in his mouth, the Dark Lord smiled at his young proteges eagerness for battle,

"You will leave soon, your Father will brief you to the details in the meeting room. I shall be sending your Uncle, Lestrange with you." The two young men said their thanks and backed out of the room. After seeing Lucius and having the plan outlined for them, they tore out the door and into the garden. When out of range of anyone, Draco burst in a fury,

"That fucking psychotic moron!!" Blaise was seething, he felt ill from the mere thought of the attack,

"We have to do something Draco, I can't, we can't let him just kill all those kids, its not right! No matter what or who they are. We have to warn the Order." Draco nodded and pulled from his robe a letter he had written to Hermione the night before, they didn't have a quill so they improvised. Blaise drew his knife over his arm, cutting it open, using the tip of his wand, he dipped it on the blood and scrawled three words across the bottom of the parchment. When he was done, Draco whistled into the night, out of the darkness came a jet black eagle owl. He attached the note to the birds leg and said,

"Find her, she's in London somewhere. Don't stop until you have delivered that letter to her." He threw his arm upwards and watched as the bird took flight. Turning, he saw his Uncle thundering towards them, pulling Blaise's arm, he started towards him, "Come on, we gotta move."

"Its Hogwarts. They're going to attack the school. Tonight." Anyone who had been holding anything dropped it, Harry came towards her, horror and suspicion etched on his face,

"How do you know that?" Hermione snapped angrily,

"Does it matter how I know? Its happening we've got to do something!" Her outburst seemed to snap everyone into motion, papers were thrown everywhere and the whole place descended into disarray, Harry who was still glaring at Hermione, as if challenging her to run, go and join the forces that they were fighting against, but he then seemed to compose himself, turning to the room, he said loudly,

"STOP! For fucks sake we have to deal with this in an organised manner, or we could be looking at a massacre. We need to come up with a strategy and fast. Lupin, write to McGonagall, get her to start to organise the students, keep the Slytherins out of it, we don't know how many of them we can trust. We have to get them ready to be led to safety. Mrs. Weasley, I need you to think of a place safe enough to hold that many people. Right, I need teams, one will have to lead the students out. Fred, George, I need you to come up with some diversions, and if you've got some of your defensive gear around that would be useful," the twins nodded,

"On it mate," they said together, before apparating out to their shop in Diagon Alley. Harry turned to the various redundant Aurors that had joined their ranks since the destruction of the Ministry, "I need you lot to head up the attack, spread yourselves out through the grounds. Fight to kill, show no mercy." He swung round to face his comrades, the Order of the Phoenix, Ron, Ginny and Hermione, "You'll defend the castle, anything that gets through the defences. Use everything you have," he turned to Hermione, "Do you still have the coins? The one's we used in fifth year for the DA?" She shrugged,

"Somewhere or other," he scowled,

"Helpful thanks. Do you want to go and find them? Then use them to call the DA to fight. Now-ish would be good Hermione." The on-lookers in the kitchen were shocked at the coldness Harry showed towards his best friend. Hermione, however, was indifferent to their obvious discomfort, she smiled sarcastically and left the kitchen. Broken from the spell of Harry and Hermione's inter-play, the army of the light prepared for war. Each of them scattering the directions Harry told them to. Unbeknownst to anyone, Ginny slipped upstairs after Hermione. Harry himself disappeared with Ron into the sitting room, he was worried,

"We're no closer to finding the last Horcruxes! I don't like this, going into this battle with nothing going for us!" Ron paced up and down, and up and down, Harry sank down onto to the sofa, his head in his hands, "And Hermione? I can't do it Ron, I can't trust her. I'm half expecting her to run for it, and now with this fight ahead of us, what if she switches sides and fights against us?!" He got up again and walked to the vast tapestry that spanned to walls of the room, staring blankly at the name under the gold thread that ran from the names Lucius and Narcissa. Draco Malfoy. His poison had spread, taking over one of his best friends, he couldn't help feeling Hermione was lost to them now. He resolved then and there, this time Malfoy wouldn't walk away. He had shown his true colours, Harry remembered the crude mark burned into the pale skin of Malfoys arm, his being a Death Eater was an added bonus. Tonight Malfoy's blood would stain the earth and Hermione would be free. He looked to Ron and smiled cruelly, Ron nodded, understanding what he was intending to do, the red head glowered, throwing his normally soft features into a jagged, harsh edged look,

"I'm with you." Harry turned back to the name in front of him, and blasted it with a flick of his wand, leaving a charred, smoking hole.

Meanwhile, Hermione was upstairs, wearing a hole in the floor with her frantic pacing. Ever since she had received Draco's letter she had been sick with worry, he and Blaise would undoubtedly be at Hogwarts tonight, standing against those downstairs, ready to fight for that maniac Voldemort. Could she justify fighting with them, when she knew what Voldemort would do to her if she was found with two of his precious purebloods? Could she fight against the men she loved? All of this was swirling in her head, when a knock on her door distracted her. She wrenched it open, expecting to find Harry or Ron, ready to call her out on her 'behaviour', instead Ginny was in front of her. She scowled, if she had come to say her piece, well, Hermione didn't know if she'd be able to keep her temper,

"If you've come up here to have a go, then save your breath. I've got no patience for your hypocrisy Ginny." Ginny merely shrugged and walked past her,

"I haven't. So you can stop that," Hermione looked confused, Ginny inclined her head towards the window, where storm clouds had begun to gather all of a sudden. Hermione closed her eyes and tried to calm down. Ginny sat down on the bed, a strange feeling had been growing in her, a feeling of claustrophobia, being back here in this house again, with Harry suddenly paying her too much attention. It felt stifling, and she wanted out. If Hermione was planning on giving Ron and Harry the slip tonight, she wanted to go with her, however uncertain a future with Blaise Zabini was. Hermione finally calmed down enough to turn and face her,

"Well?" She said, venom dripping from her tone. Ginny suddenly felt nervous, what if she went and Blaise didn't want her? Maybe Hermione and Draco were enough for him, maybe Hermione wouldn't let her do it. "Spit it out Ginny, what do you want?"

"Um...er...I...miss him." She said in a small voice, Hermione's brow furrowed,

"Excuse me, speak up?" Inside Hermione was smirking, she was going to make Ginny admit what she was feeling, admit what she wanted. She looked over to the red head expectantly,

"I miss him," she said in a clearer voice. Hermione folded her arms across her chest and said,

"What do you miss about him?" Ginny's head snapped up, Hermione raised her eyebrows in amusement, tilting her head to one side, she walked slowly to her friend and said in a slow voice, "Would you do anything, anything, to be with him again?" Ginny looked up, the Hermione she had grown up with, the one that was constantly bickering with her older brother and forever with her noise in a book was gone for good. Was Ginny herself prepared to sacrifice everything, including her family for the sake of a man so wrong in so many ways, but so right in others? Hermione snapped her fingers, "Well?"

"Yes." The betrayal was sealed by the strength in her voice and the bubble of excitement she felt rise in her stomach. Hermione smiled,

"We've got work to do."

A lone figure stood in the shadows of the Forbidden Forest. His silver eyes gleamed, the only light in the dark. He watched the candles flicker out in the windows, as the students of Hogwarts settled for the night. He raised the cigarette to his lips and took a long drag, the smoke unfurling into the air, twisting and coiling like a writhing serpent. He leant on a tree, his lithe figure sloping gracefully against the trunk, his look was set as he awaited his companions arrival. He watched as a steady number of students led by various different teachers made their way over the grounds and were led to safety via the secret passage by the lake. He made no move to stop them, that wasn't his goal tonight. A sound behind him made him flinch, his wand arm twitching in anticipation, ready to attack. He relaxed when the air around him cracked with the magic of a concealment spell being lifted, he knew that magic and it calmed him. A hand rested on his shoulder and his nostrils were filled with the smell of Italian tobacco and something else more alluring,

"Its done," the newcomer said in a low voice, "I modified his memory and sent his arse packing back to Bella," the first man turned, smirked, the other grinned. The first turned back to the castle and said,

"Lets go." Together Draco and Blaise made their way towards the castle, ready to face inevitability.

_Hey everyone, I'm so sorry this has been a long time coming! I've literally had no time on my hands and when I came to actually write had the worst case of writers block imaginable! Hope this chapters up to scratch! much love sarah x_


	24. Chapter 34

**Chapter Thirty Four**

Hermione and Ginny descended the stairs, they could hear the noise in the kitchen escalate as they got closer, Harry's voice rang out barking orders at people. They looked at each other, the plan that they had come up with was risky and if they were able to pull it off, it would be nothing short of a miracle. Hermione's nerves were tingling in anticipation, she had been too long without the feel of Draco's skin on hers, without the buzz she felt when they were as one. Next to her, Ginny was feeling the same sense of anticipation, her conviction that Blaise was the one she wanted was stronger then ever and by the end of night, hopefully, they'd be together again. They entered the kitchen silently, and took their place at the table, next to Ron and his brothers, Bill and Charlie who had arrived whilst they had been upstairs. Hermione wasn't really paying attention to those around her, her mind otherwise occupied going over the information she knew, the last Horcrux was Voldemort's snake, once that was targeted the Dark Lord would know that his Horcruxes were being destroyed. The snake would have to wait until the last, opportune moment, she felt no qualms in telling this to Harry, if it destroyed Voldemort the faster, it was all the better for her and Draco. She wasn't sure at this point what the other item was, it could be one of two things, the clasp of Gryffindor's, or the locket of Slytherin's, seeing as she had no idea where either of these items were, the completion of her plan was unlikely to happen tonight; which in turn meant that she may have to wait longer to once again truly be with Draco. She did, however plan on giving as much information to Draco and Blaise as possible to aid their hunt for the last pieces of Voldemort's fractured soul.

"HERMIONE!" Her head whipped up at the sound of her name, Harry was looking directly at her, so angry she could practically see smoke pouring out of his ears. She raised her eyebrows,

"Yes?" He huffed at her nonchalance, waved it off and asked her directly,

"Did you find the coins?" His tolerance for her was on a tether, and he felt a now all to familiar stab of murderous rage. His impatience at finishing this with Malfoy was clouding his judgement of what was truly important, and he needed it out the way before he could hope to succeed in destroying Voldemort. Hermione stood up, fished the fake Galleon out of the pocket of her jeans and flicked it towards Harry. He snatched it out the air and said the charm to activate it. Hopefully Neville and Luna would receive his message and start rallying the dregs of the DA together to strengthen the defense at the castle. He turned to the people who remained in the kitchen, the Order; Lupin, Tonks, Moody, Shacklebolt, and others; the Weasleys, minus Fred and George who were meeting them at the school; and finally Ron, Hermione and his Ginny. He looked at them, all of them willing to fight for the cause, even Hermione, who he truly believed, no matter what had corrupted her, would not condone the slaughter of innocents. Pride, mixed with humility, swelled in him, he opened his mouth to say something at least, not quite knowing how to put what he was feeling into words, what if some of them didn't come back? What if they died and he never got to thank them? He started to speak, but Lupin sensing what he was about to say, raised his arm, cutting Harry off,

"No. No goodbyes. We're with you Harry, and thats where we want to be. We'll see you on the other side." With that he grabbed Tonks' hand and apparated them both away. Ron chuckled lightly,

"Well," he said, "Sums it up, don't you think?" The remaining people laughed, then all of them disapparated out to face the army of darkness.

The school was in an uproar, the teachers were trying to keep the students calm but the younger ones were panicking. All the houses bar Slytherin were gathered in the Great Hall, various Aurors were loitering at the back on high alert waiting for signs of the first wave of attack. McGonagall was frantically trying to retain some sense of order but was failing miserably, as soon as the students had found out what was coming they had spilt, the older ones rallying, wanting to stand and fight, the younger ones huddling to each other, scared out of their wits. In one corner, a select group of students were readying themselves, as soon as he had felt the coin in his pocket burn, Neville Longbottom had awoken his house, those who had been members of the DA had immediately begun preparing, Dean and Seamus had run to warn Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff. Neville himself had begun to gather together the younger students, ready to lead them to safety, before Professor Vector had appeared to escort them all to the Great Hall. They had gathered together the rest of the DA, Luna, Ernie, Justin, Susan and others, and were currently how best to help. Currently the hall was a disaster zone, students were everywhere and the teachers had lost control. No-one was listening to a word McGonagall was shouting, and it seemed nothing would call the students of Hogwarts to order. The doors to the Great Hall slammed open, and every head in the hall turned to look, the frantic chatter ceased immediately as a group of people made their way into the hall. At the head was Harry Potter, the change in the boy was astounding, gone was the somewhat naive little boy that had walked into this hall six years previously, the crowds parted for him and he walked to the front. Folding his arms over his chest, the Order of the Phoenix fanning out behind him, he said, quite calmly,

"You were saying Headmistress?" McGonagall looked almost as shell-shocked as her students, but regained her authority and cleared her throat,

"Yes, well, thank you Mr. Potter. Students of Hogwarts, tonight the Dark Lord has made it his intent to attack this school. I know this is frightening for many of you and that is why I require your absolute cooperation in getting you all to safety. Please follow the instructions of your heads of houses and make this as smooth as possible. I ask the prefects to help as much as possible. First to third years will follow your Head of house, do not stray and go silently. Fourth to seventh years, your prefects will lead you out," She was cut off by Neville who called,

"What if we want to fight?!" Harry turned at the voice and smiled, Neville inclined his head in his direction, an understanding passing between them, McGonagall started again,

"I cannot stop those of age fighting if they wish, any other seventh years who feel that they want to stay and help may do. But none others." It was Ginny who spoke this time,

"What about us?!" She indicated the other sixth years who were part of the DA, Luna stepped to her side, defiance in her usually dreamy expression, "We want to stay and help!" McGonagall turned to Molly Weasley and her husband, who said,

"If she wants to fight, I cannot stop her. She's as stubborn as her mother." Molly smiled wanly, McGonagall sighed,

"Very well, sixth years, I give you the same choice. Stay and help? Or go to safety, I strongly advise that you choose the second option." About half of the sixth year went to stand by Ginny and Luna. McGonagall nodded, a strange sense of pride swelling in her at the passion of the students towards their school. She indicated to the teachers to begin the evacuation of the students. The hall began to rapidly empty, Harry watched as the students were led from the hall, all of them looking so scared, he hoped beyond hope that they would get to safety fast enough. He looked behind him and saw the members of the DA looking over at him. He went over to his peers and beamed, Neville clapped him on the back,

"Good to have you back mate! Anything we can do, let us know." Harry nodded,

"Cheers Neville, I need you guys to go with Ron and Hermione. Surround the entrance hall, anything that gets in, destroy it." Harry was tapped on the shoulder, Fred and George had arrived, arms weighed down by varying defensive gear. In the mayhem of the evacuation, unbeknownst to everyone around her, Hermione slipped out of the side door, clutching the ring on the chain round her neck she ran as fast as she could to the Slytherin dormitories.

With the rest of the school busy with the evacuation and readying themselves for the attack, it was easy for Draco and Blaise to slip in unnoticed. They moved silently through the darkened hallways, making their way to the Slytherin common room. Reaching the portrait, Blaise whispered the password and the painting swung forward permitting them entry. The whole house was awake, the prefects having been on patrol in the corridors had seen the rest of the student body moving towards the Great Hall. They had hurried back and awoken the rest of their house, speculating what was going on. As soon as the portrait slammed shut behind them heads began to turn, on seeing Draco and Blaise, the students chatter died down. Pansy Parkinson rushed forwards and threw her arms around Draco, nuzzling his neck. Draco made a disgusted snort and dislodged Pansy arms from around his neck,

"Get the fuck off me Parkinson!" She looked hurt for a moment but regained her composure,

"Baby, what's going on? Nott saw all the students rushing to the Great Hall, and," she lowered her voice, "Our marks have been burning all evening. Is it tonight? Is he attacking now?" Blaise sniggered, then stepped towards Pansy, grabbing her arm, he yanked her sleeve up and drew one long finger over the mark writhing on her arm,

"Didn't you realise Parkinson? Or is your head so full of air that you can't feel anything. You idiot of course its tonight." He dropped her arm as if holding on to it any longer would affect him in some way. Turning his attention to the students in front of him, who looked a mix between awe and fear at the sudden appearance of their revered Princes. Draco shoved Parkinson out of the way and stood, feet apart, arms crossed to face his house,

"All of you, listen up! The Dark Lord os on his way here now wit an army behind him. He sent Blaise and I here to rally for your support. Those who want to fight against Potter and his merry band of idiots are welcome to do so. Anyone else, get the fuck out of here before you get yourselves killed." There was a scuffle as some students pushed forward to get out of the common room, some younger students, those disillusioned by having Death Eaters for parents remained behind, along with all the seventh years and some sixth. Draco turned to address the younger ones, he grimaced then snarled out, "Do you really think that you're capable of fighting highly trained Aurors? This isn't a classroom anymore this is war, its not a fucking game. Get out of here." They stood their ground against him, his anger rose, eyes turned dark and the people in front of him recoiled in fear, he growled, "Do I have to make myself any clearer? Get the fuck out of here. NOW!" Blaise came to stand by him, leaning close, he whispered,

"Draco, do you really think that this lot stand a chance against Order members and Aurors? They are going to get themselves killed." Draco turned to look at Blaise,

"Of course not. I'm hoping that they are gonna realise it and get out of here before they get killed," He straightened up and addressed everyone, "Fan out, spread yourselves through the corridors. You know these halls better then them. Use it to your advantage. Move it." The remainder of the people scurried out of the room, on her way past Pansy stopped in front of them,

"What were you to whispering about?" Draco sneered in her direction, grabbed her arm and and pulled her toward him, spitting out,

"Thats none of your fucking business Parkinson. Get out of my sight before I kill you myself!" The anger in his eyes, made her squeak in fear, wrenching her arm out of his grip she stumbled past them and out of the door. The two man turned to each other, Blaise said with a grim smile,

"Fancy a drink before we go get slaughtered?" Draco chuckled lightly and nodded. Blaise walked off and up the stairs to Draco's dorm room to get the Firewhiskey. The blond looked around the room, taking it in, getting the last glimpses of his childhood before crashed from beneath him. His guard was down, so the frantic hammering on the door made him jump about six inches, he pulled out his wand and slowly opened the door,

"DRACO!" She screamed before flinging herself into his arms.

The gates to the castle shook, metal begun to twist and bend, seemingly destroying themselves. They finally snapped and broke, swinging forwards on their hinges. The Dark Lord stepped through them, a triumphant look on his face,

"Burn it to the ground my friends, burn it and kill everyone that gets in your way!" He raised his wand and summoned his most fierce-some subjects, the Dementors. Hundreds swooped down, bringing with them a cold, clammy darkness, they moved silently over the grounds, freezing everything in their wake. He Who Must Not Be Named called up to the decaying figures, "Make them," he paused, a soft almost human smile on his face, he purred out the word, his voice caressing it, "make them suffer." Only then did the Dark Lord smile inhumanely, his true psychotic nature revealed as he crowed in triumph, "GO MY BROTHERS! KILL!"


	25. Chapter 35

**Chapter Thirty Five**

"DRACO!" He heard before a figure hurled itself into his arms. As soon as he held her, he felt whole. His whole body was buzzing, alive with power, his eyes turned dark and the world outside turned black. He could feel her, her power, in the blood that pumped through her veins,

"Hermione," he whispered into her hair, then tipped her head back, looking deep into her eyes, which by now had turned a rich deep brown. She flung her arms around his neck and kissed him hard. He responded, backed her into the wall, tearing at the jumper she wore. She ripped his shirt open, popping the buttons all over the room. He grinned into her mouth, "Impatient are we?" She nipped his lip in response, then pulled back, unbuckling his jeans at the same time,

"In case you haven't noticed baby, we're about to go to war." He smirked, yanking her jeans and knickers off in one go, hooking his arm around her leg, he hoisted her around his waist and resumed kissing her. She pushed his boxers down with her feet. Without the need for anything else, he thrust upwards, impaling her in one motion. She bit her lip to keep from screaming his name. The time that had been lost between them seemed forgotten, their union was swift, but the walls of the castle shuddered with the sheer power of it. She was clawing at his back, leaving deep red scratches, moaning his name over and over in his ear. He sucked down hard on her neck, leaving his own mark in her pale white skin. She began to tremble, and with all of his effort he bought her crashing to an intense climax, she screamed,

"Oh god!" He smirked and with one final push, tipped himself over the edge with her, they crashed to the ground, remaining joined with each other. Her on top, panting with exhaustion, his eyes closed from exertion. They regained themselves after a while, Hermione, lifting her head ever so slightly, planted a kiss on his neck, "I missed you," she whispered. He chuckled, a deep rumble that reverberated throughout his body,

"I can tell Angel. I missed you to." He sat up, taking her with him, stroking her hair. To his surprise, she started to sob, "What is it?" He asked, keeping one hand firmly round her waist, the other coming up to stroke her cheek. His grey eyes fixed on hers, she gasped out,

"I missed you so much Draco. I thought I was going to crazy. Every night, every day, it was like I was missing a part of me. I had to endure Ron and all his affections towards me, it made me sick. I just wanted to pack and bag and not stop until I found you. Please, please don't leave me again." He looked away from her, she sighed, "But you will, won't you? If this doesn't end tonight, you'll go and leave again." He picked her up and carried her to the couch, sitting her on his lap, he whispered in her ear, his voice a low tone that sent shivers down her spine,

"Nothings changed baby. If, and god I hope, this ends tonight, then my promise still stands. I'll take you away from here and we can get married. Then when the time is right, we'll come back and take what is rightfully ours. Until that happens lover, they'll never stop. Potter and his band of idiots, they'll keep finding a way of taking you from me. I need to know that, when the time for us comes, there will be nothing standing in our way. Once I kill Voldemort, they won't be able to stop us." She nodded mutely, he continued, "Trust me on this, I hate sending you back to them and if I had my way, you'd be in MY bed every night and every day. But this is how it has to be." She bit her lip, she had to tell him, its was dancing on the tip of her tongue and if she didn't say anything it would be something between them forever, she never wanted anything to some between them,

"I slept with Ron," she whispered almost inaudibly. She felt him stiffen beneath her, his whole body tensing up, she had said it now, there was no turning back. The words tumbled out of her mouth, "It was only once, and I had to. Otherwise they would have known, they would have known that I wasn't loyal to them. I couldn't...there was nothing I could do." She began to openly weep, now, almost in hysterics. He sat there, as if made of stone, she ripped herself from his grasp and started getting dressed, tears still cascading down her face. The whole room began to shake, and Draco's eyes had darkened to jet black, sensing a movement behind her she turned. Blaise was on the stairs, having been watching them the whole time, his face was an impassive mask, but his eyes had deepened to an inky blue colour, he went to her and whispered gently,

"It doesn't matter." He pulled her into his arms, comforting her, but Draco was still silent as the grave. The room was full on rumbling now, objects began to fall from shelves and the people in the portraits fled from fear. Suddenly all was still, Blaise and Hermione looked over at the blond expectantly, but still nothing. Then he stood up, she could see the air around him crackling, feel his anger in her veins. He growled out,

"I'm gonna fucking kill him." Then without another word, pulled on his jeans, threw on his cloak and stormed out. She tried to free herself from Blaise's arms, but he held her fast,

"DRACO!" She began to scream, Blaise silenced her by covering her lips with his. Then pulling back he said quite calmly,

"Let him go Cara. He needs to do this, its the only way to forgive himself for letting you go." She shook her head vehemently,

"But its my fault! I should never have let Ron..." she trailed off. Blaise smiled grimly,

"You did what you thought was right. Let him go Angel." Hermione started to shake, the thought of her boyfriend going head to head with, well, her boyfriend frightened her, what if Draco got killed? What would happen to them if he did kill Ron?

"Blaise," she said, "Go after him, please, I am begging you. If he kills him then...then..Harry will never leave us alone. He'll always come after us and he won't stop until Draco is dead. I'll lose him forever. Please?" He looked down at her, saw the fear in her eyes, she was right of course. He couldn't lose Draco either. She kissed him lightly, "For us?" He nodded, then silently swept out of the room. She watched him go, standing for what seemed like an age before pulling on her jeans, fixing the shirt that Draco had been wearing, and putting that on, inhaling deeply, wrapping herself in his scent. She felt like a caged animal, unsure whether to return to the battle, or whether to sit it out and wait for him to return to her. She sighed, and curled up, exhausted. KNOCK. Her head shot up, it sounded as though someone was trying to hammer the door down, she was shocked still. KNOCK. The banging continued, then a voice could be heard yelling through the portrait door,

"MALFOY! COME OUT AND FINISH THIS!" Harry.

Curses were flying everywhere, silvery patronuses charged over the grounds, the Battle for Hogwarts had begun, and the grounds were starting to run with blood spilt. Harry watched from the window of the first floor corridor. Aurors were flinging curses at the oncoming Death Eaters, holding them back. From the windows above him, his fellow Gryffindors were casting the Patronus charm over and over to force the Dementors to retreat. It was working, the army of darkness were being held at bay. Harry smiled grimly, he knew that their defences would not hold for long, not when Voldemort himself joined the attack. He heard footsteps thundering toward him, instinct told him turn but he didn't,

"Harry!" It was Ron, "Harry, we have to move, the Slytherins, they've joined the Dark Lord. They're attacking from the inside! A bunch of them took Lupin and Tonks on in the second floor corridor. Don't worry, they're both fine. But we have to get to the entrance hall, they're attacking there, opening the way for him to get through!" Harry tore his gaze from the battle outside and headed for the entrance hall. As they ran, he realised something,

"Where's Hermione?" Ron wildly looked around, as if expecting her to appear from no where,

"I haven't seen her since we arrived," Harry growled, Ron understood, "You don't think? I didn't see them arrive, and no-one's got through." Harry was less convinced,

"Yeah, unless they were inside to start with. Find her Ron. I've got business to attend to." His face was set and he changed his course, heading for the one place he would expect to find Malfoy, the Slytherin common room. Ron raced to the entrance hall, calling her name as he went, he saw his sister squaring off with the towering form of Millicent Bullstrode. Ginny shot a well aimed _expelliarmus, _at her followed by her trademark bat bogey hex, Bullstrode went down for the count. He took his opportunity, running forward, he pulled her into an alcove,

"Gin, where's Hermione?! Have you seen her?!" She shook her head,

"No, not since we got here. Why?" Ron looked exasperated,

"Fuck," he swore under his breath, "We haven't seen her either. Harry thinks that she's done a runner. To them." Inside Ginny was celebrating, if Hermione had found Draco and Blaise, then they wouldn't be far off from coming for her. However, she set her face into an ugly sneer,

"Probably has, the traitor. I don't see why you're bothering." He raised his eyebrows, he had never heard his sister use such a hateful tone,

"I love her Gin, and I am not losing her to Malfoy. If you see her, stop her and send your patronus after me." She nodded and he took off again, running for the Gryffindor common room. She whirled around and saw Luna cornered by Crabbe and Goyle. She raced back into the fray, catching an unsuspecting Goyle with a leg-locker curse, the distraction gave Luna her chance and with a swirl of her wand, Crabbe was sent hurtling into a wall. Ginny nodded in Luna's direction and the two friends rushed forward to help out their school friends. She had just engaged in a duel with Theo Nott, when she felt it. The hairs on the back of her neck stood on end, and she felt the air around her crackle with untold energy. She began to turn, taking her eye from her opponent, Nott found his opening and threw a _Crucio _her way. She turned back just in time to see the curse rebound in mid air and smash into the wall, sending rubble and portraits crashing to the ground. Nott's eyes widened at the sight of the figure behind her, following his gaze her heart jumped a mile out her chest. Standing at the doors of the Great Hall, looking every inch the Italian God, was Blaise Zabini. He raised his hand to his head and tipped it forward in a form of greeting to her, she smiled. His wand raised and before Nott could blink he was stunned. The battle raging around them was suddenly background noise. They didn't notice it and no-one noticed them. She ran to him, and threw her arms around him. He quirked an eyebrow, and looked down to meet her gaze,

"Change of heart, Red?" She smirked and said,

"I made a mistake Blaise. I thought, I thought that I was doing the right thing. I was so wrong. You. I want you." His handsome face spilt into a triumphant grin,

"Its about time." He bent to kiss her, but she raised her finger to his lips, becoming increasingly aware that there was a battle going on behind them,

"Not here Love. In case it has escaped your rapt attention, there is a little bit of an altercation going on behind us and I think that me being seen with you may blow our cover. Get out of here before someone sees you!" He leant down and whispered in his ear,

"When this is over, I'm going to drag you to the nearest flat surface and fuck your brains out," She blushed, and felt his fingers ghost down her back, making her whole skin feel aflame, he whispered again, "Find Hermione before anyone else does, and then take her and yourself somewhere safe. We'll find you there." She nodded and released herself from his grasp. He caught her hand as she turned and pulled her against him, his breath hot on her face, "Oh and Red, nice going back there." He winked and took off in the direction of the Astronomy Tower. She struggled to catch her breath as she stared after him. After what seemed like forever, she turned on her heel and unknowingly followed Harry to the Slytherin common room.

If she didn't answer he would give up and go away. But if she did nothing then he would continue on his rampage, finding Draco and 'finishing it.' She still hadn't moved an inch, he had been knocking and yelling for ten minutes now, calling Draco all the worst names under the sun. If he didn't go away, she was going to have a hard time keeping her anger in check. Finally, after what seemed like an age he gave up, she allowed herself a moment of relief before the panic set in. She had to find Draco, to warn him. She jumped up from the sofa and ran to the portrait, putting her ear flat against it, listening for any sign that Harry was still loitering outside, she heard nothing. Pulling it open, she jumped the threshold, and started down the corridor, throwing looks over her shoulder as she went, just in case. She never saw the figure coming the other way until she collided with it, in an instant her wand was out and pointed straight at the other person,

"Hermione! Its me, chill!" Her vision focused, and she saw the flaming red hair of Ginny Weasley standing in front of her. She lowered her wand, and sighed in relief,

"Jesus Gin! Don't fucking scare me like that!" Ginny chuckled, then said,

"Blaise found me, he told me to come get you. He also said that we had to go somewhere safe until this was over. Come on!" She started to pull Hermione by the hand, but the other girl tugged it back, saying in a semi frantic tone,

"We can't! I have to find Draco, if I don't then...either..." Hermione stopped, a couple of tears strayed down her cheek. Ginny looked at her worriedly,

"Hermione, what?! What is it?!"

"Either...he kills Ron or Harry kills him, maybe both. I HAVE to find him! And you're going to help me!" Ginny nodded,

"Ron. He went to look for you in the Gryffindor common room, we'll start there." The two girls started in that direction, running as fast as they could through the corridors. Gryffindor tower was across the other side of the school, and to get there they would have to pass through the entrance hall, where the battle raged on. They passed people aimlessly pacing the corridors, waiting for the first wave of Voldemort's army to break through, and others who called out to them as they ran past. Finally they reached the entrance hall, and were halted by the fighting. Their side was winning, but the Slytherins were fighting back with equal force. The main doors were swaying, a loud thunderous hammering echoing around them. The Dark Lord's forces had almost breached the doors. Hermione grabbed Ginny and urged her to continue, but their mission came to an early stop. A cold, harsh voiced sounded out at them from the Great Hall,

"WEASLEY!" She whirled around at the sound of her lovers voice, and raced to the Great Hall. Standing on the platform at the top end, was Draco, eyes black, power whipping around him, and at the other, by the doors, was Ron, wand out, standing his ground.

The main entrance doors banged open behind them, the Dark forces flew over the transom. Ron's head whipped around, and Draco, on hearing the crash flicked his wrist. The doors to the Great Hall begun to close. Ginny pulled on Hermione's arm and they both rushed to the Great Hall, before the door slammed behind them. The two boys turned back to each other, and faced off. Curses were flung left, right and centre. Hermione and Ginny took cover behind one of the upturned house tables, Hermione was desperate to help Draco but Ginny kept pulling her back to stop her, reassuring her that Draco would be fine. In reality, Ginny was in agony, her brother was out there, facing off against a far superior adversary. Draco was gaining the upper hand, and his cold drawl rung out,

"You can't fucking beat me Weaselbee! So give up trying!" Ron threw another curse in Draco's direction, forcing him to take a running dive to the floor. The red head began to laugh,

"Don't you get it Malfoy, even if you beat me. I've already won. Hermione chose me, not you! You lose, because you've lost her!" Now it was Draco's turn to laugh,

"You're delusional, you fucking nancy! Why would she choose you, when she's got me?! If she's so yours, why can I still feel her? Oh right, thats cos I just fucked her against the wall of Slytherin common room. You total wanker." Ron was shell shocked for a moment, loosing his focus. Draco took his opportunity and sent a near crippling stunning spell at Ron. His cold laugh filled the hall, as he advanced towards his quarry, he didn't need magic, he'd throttle the twat with his bare hands. "You won't ever beat me Weasley. You are just one pathetic person. A no talent loser who thought he was good enough for someone like her. If only she could see you now, cowering at my feet, about to die. You know what, I think she'd laugh," Draco had reached him now, he leant down, put one hand round Ron's throat, and begun to squeeze. Ron begun to gasp for breath, struggling to free himself, Draco just squeezed harder, then said, "I'll always win. Say goodbye bitch." It happened so suddenly Hermione couldn't do anything to prevent it, a curse flew at Draco's back, hitting him square in the shoulder, he flew backwards, hitting the wall and sliding down it to the floor. The figure advanced on him, and said in a near inhuman voice,

"I wouldn't be so sure Malfoy. How about you and me have a go?"

_A/N: So guys, this is it, the penultimate chappie! I hope you have enjoyed reading this story as much as I have enjoyed writing it! A BIG THANKS to everyone who has stuck through it and put up with my lateness of updates! And to everyone who has written me such nice reviews! Thanks to all! MUCH love Sarahxxx p.s. sequel is defo in the pipelines...might need a beta though, if anyone feels up to the challenge????_


	26. Chapter 36

**Chapter Thirty Six**

All eyes swung round to the new presence in the hall. Hermione rushed from her hiding place and stood in front of the figure advancing on her lover, Ron dragged himself from the floor, and said with an unmistakable glint of humour in his tone,

"Two against one, those are the kind of odds I like to play," Harry turned to him lifted his head in agreement. Hermione shoved him in the chest,

"You don't touch him. If you do I swear to God I will kill you myself. How about two against two Ron? How do you like those odds?!" Harry smiled in triumph, then shoved her aside and advanced on Draco who was only now coming round,

"Get ready Hermione, once I'm done with him you can move on with your life." She pulled the back of his shirt, halting his progress, he turned and looked about ready to hit her round the face, she let rip,

"FREE?! Thats a laugh Potter! With you two breathing down my neck every five seconds?! You've no idea, no fucking idea what free means!" Over Harry's shoulder she was consciously aware of Draco pulling himself up from the floor, his grey eyes were now an intense black and they locked with hers. The look said it all, step back, this wasn't her fight. She communicated that she understood. Both Harry and Ron's attention was focused on her, so neither saw Draco coming, with a flick of his wrist Ron was hurtling across the room, landing with a crash atop the Gryffindor table. Harry spun around, but was to slow, before he knew it, he was hit with a severing curse, blood spattered across his robes as his cheek was split open to the bone. He swore under his breath, clutching the side of his face, he bought his wand up and sent a crippling hex towards the Slytherin, Draco ducked just in time, the spell hitting the wall. Draco sneered,

"Gotta be faster then that Potter," he raised his arm and with a swipe of his hand, Harry was sent backwards, slamming into the ground with bone crunching force, Draco chuckled. Harry grunted, pain was racketing through his entire body, at this rate, the fight would be over soon. With a tremendous amount of effort he managed to lift his head, only to see Hermione clutching Draco's robes, and kissing him as if her life depended on it. Ron was still unconscious and he couldn't do anything, his aching limbs refusing to move. He became aware of people towering over him, a hard toed boot kicked him in the ribs, then a voice said low in his ear, dripping with malice, "Don't you see Potter? I'll always win. You can't stop me and you can't change her mind, she's mine and she always will be no matter what you or you're pathetic little sidekick do." Then the lights went out, as Draco knocked him out with one kick to the head. Hermione sauntered to his side,

"That'd just about do it lover," he looked at her and laughed out loud, she entwined herself around him and kissed him harshly on the lips, he met her with equal force, nipping her bottom lip, drawing blood. She pulled back gasping, then leant up and whispered huskily in his ear, "You, are so god damn sexy when you're fighting baby, it makes me want to fuck you right here in front of them." She tilted her head in the direction of her unconscious friends. The look in his eye told her that she had said exactly the right thing to get him off. He grabbed the back of her neck and forced her lips onto his, pulling her tightly to him. She could feel every inch of him pressing against her, then without warning he drew back. She mewled in protest, but he put his finger to her lips, silencing her. Bending his head to her ear, he said,

"Not here Angel, don't get me wrong I'd love to fuck you right here, right now but it isn't exactly the moment. The Dark Lord is right through those doors, and I need to go out there to report to him. I want you to go and find Blaise, get him to take you back to the Manor. Wait for me there, I'll be with you as soon as I can." She shook her head, defiance shining in her chocolate brown eyes,

"I am not leaving you here!" He cupped her chin,

"I'll be fine Hermione. You need to go, before those two wankers wake up," She clung to him, not wanting to let him go. Outside the doors, the sounds of the battle were getting louder, screams tore through the air and she could smell something burning. On the table, the figure began to stir, unnoticed. He kissed her on the head and pried her arms from around him, "Take the side door, and watch your back. Take," He raised his voice, "Ginny with you." Ginny stepped out from behind the table, and waved sheepishly. He began to make his way to the doors, Hermione stood and watched him go, she couldn't let him,

"DRACO!" He turned, "Please don't do this!" He ran back to her and swept her into his arms, pressing his face into her hair, taking in every last drop of her that he could,

"I have to do this, " he said, "Understand, I don't want to leave you but I have to or he'll kill me and then he'll come for you. I won't allow it." She muffled, through her tears,

"Okay." He put her down and dried her tears with his thumbs,

"No tears baby, I love you, remember that and it will bring me back to you." They kissed slowly, not two feet away from the couple, Harry's eyes snapped open.

"FALL BACK!" Lupin shouted at the people in front of him, "THERE ARE TOO MANY OF THEM, GET OUT OF HERE ALL OF YOU!" The forces of the light began to scatter, chased by Death Eaters and Dementors alike. Lupin raced down the the front steps, hexing people left and centre, he looked wildly around, taking stock of the number of people that were left to evacuate. The west half of the castle was burning, smoke billowing from the Astronomy Tower, veiling the stars that hung in the air. People were streaming from the front doors, light and dark forces together. The slower ones were taken, caught by Dementors mid flight. He saw Neville in front of him, still fighting, the brave Gryffindor in him outweighing any reason. He dropped a Death Eater to the ground and turned to face the next one, only to find himself dragged off by Lupin pulling him by the collar, "Neville, where's Harry?!"

"I've not seen him since earlier, he ran past me. I saw him go through the back door to the Great Hall." Lupin swore under his breath, he had a sinking feeling that Harry had done something really stupid, he had to act,

"Neville, I need you to help get everyone out! McGonagall and Moody are scouring the corridors, but you need to get everyone to safety. Take this," he handed Neville a small square of parchment, "Memorise it, and use this as a portkey. Take as many as you can, you should find Molly Weasley there, she'll look after everyone. Then come back and get more. As fast as you can!" He let Neville go racing off, then turned back to the castle. There were still people fighting in the entrance hall but he ran straight past them through the side door beside the Great Hall, entering the passageway that led to the side room. As soon as he got there he realised that someone had followed him, diving behind a pillar he hid, waiting until he could determine the identity of the person. Through the door to his right he heard someone scream, 'Draco!' at the top of their lungs. The footsteps got nearer and their pace quickened. As they closed in on him, Lupin leapt from his hiding place, and sent the person flying backwards. They hit the floor, hard. Lupin raised his wand, ready for a fight. The person shook his head and pulled himself up, his face was hidden in darkness,

"Fuck, that hurt!" The voice held the barest hint of an Italian accent. The werewolf stared, the man didn't seem to be retaliating, but from the dark cloak around his shoulders Lupin knew what side he was on, so he did not lower his guard. The figure came into the light, dark eyes and jet black hair, Lupin's eyes widened,

"Zabini?!" He raised his wand higher, though the man in front of him was his junior in many ways, he knew not to underestimate a Zabini. Especially this one, though Blaise seemed to find the situation somewhat amusing,

"You seem tense Professor? Things not going your way?" The amusement couldn't hide the venom, the last time he had seen his ex-professor, Potter had almost killed Draco, so he wasn't exactly buzzed to see him. Lupin growled,

"Why did you follow me?" Blaise smiled wanly, then said rather smugly,

"For the exact reason you came down here. To stop Potter finishing what he couldn't finish three weeks ago. Not that he'll get much of a chance once Draco's done with him." Then a scream pierced the silence 'NOOO!' it said, coming from the room next to them, it broke them from their standoff. Blaise was the first to move, racing past to get through the door, he slammed it open and stopped dead. Lupin came up beside him and took in the sight,

"My God." He whispered.

The Dark Lord stood and watched in awe as Hogwarts Castle began to slowly burn to the ground. His victory here had cemented any doubt that he would soon rule the wizarding world. Potter's pathetic excuse for an army had vastly dwindled in numbers, those left had fled in fear. They had left their dead. The ground ran red with blood, he had allowed Greyback and his friends the spoils and the werewolves had relished it. Lightning struck across the sky and torrential rain began to fall. The Dark Lord did not flinch. Lucius Malfoy stood beside him, giving him a report of the battle, screams could be still be heard in the grounds and his dear Bella had not yet returned, he only assumed that she was still having her fun. His face spilt into an inhuman grin when he was told that Potter was still somewhere in the castle with his sidekick Weasley and the mudblood Granger. His face fell however, when he was informed that Draco and Blaise had not reported back, and that Rodolphus Lestrange who had been sent to guide them had turned up back at the Riddle house confunded. However he brightened when Lucius told him that they had taken prisoners, including a prize that would send Potter straight to him, assuming he survived the fire that was. From deep within the bowels of the castle came the sound of breaking glass, followed by a scream of despair that sent the Dementors into a feeding frenzy. Voldemort looked up at the sound and said,

"Brothers, our work here is done. Let us celebrate!" The dark forces began to leave the grounds, apparating out as the wards of the castle were burnt through. The Dark Lord pulled Lucius to him, "Have Draco and Blaise report to me when they return." Lucius nodded,

"Yes My Lord." Voldemort sauntered from the grounds, turning only once to gaze upon the place he had once called home. The white tomb of Dumbledore stood in the distance, the fire had not yet consumed it, the Dark Lord smiled and flicked his wand. The tomb exploded in a ball of rubble and flame, chunks of white marble flew over the grounds landing with a thud on the blood red ground. The snakelike features cracked into a triumphant grin,

"I win old man."

The kiss ended and he broke from her, turning from her he started to walk away. Before anyone could react Harry was on his feet, wand raised,

"Sectumsempra!" He bellowed, the curse flew straight for Draco, hitting him square in the back. Three deep red gashes appeared, blood trickling out of them. He fell to his knees,

"NOOO!" Hermione screamed, she began to run forward but someone yanked her sideways and held her back. Her eyes darkened with her power and lightning illuminated the sky outside. She struggled against the hold on her, turning her head slightly she made out the tall, red haired figure of Ron, his arms locked around hers restricting her from reaching her wand or doing anything at all. Ginny ran forward, grabbing Harry's arms as he advanced on Draco who was barely conscious,

"HARRY! Stop it!" He shoved her to the ground, his elbow catching her around the face. She fell, shocked. Harry was hardly recognisable, the darkness of his lust for revenge upon the Malfoy heir was destroying him, turning him into a creature not dissimilar from the Dark Lord. Hermione was sobbing now, pulling wildly against Ron's arms in a desperate attempt to get to her lover, but it was to no avail. Harry had reached the prone figure lying in a pool of blood on the floor, hauling him up by the collar he dragged the blond to his feet, turning to Hermione, he said,

"Say goodbye." Hermione's eyes went wide, Harry raised his wand, "_Wingardium Leviosa!"_ Such a simple spell, such devastating consequences. The side door burst open, just as Harry flicked his wand. Blaise and Lupin,

"My God," was whispered. The still form of Draco Malfoy was sent crashing through the stained glass window. Hermione's scream followed.


	27. Epilogue

**Epilogue**

_Two Years..._

The war raged on, Voldemort's victory at Hogwarts had begun something that couldn't be stopped. It was a game of chicken, who would snap first, make the mistake, allowing the other side the advantage. It was a time of frantic planning, discussing tactics and stealthily carrying out operations. They won some, they lost some and both sides suffered casualties, but none had time to mourn the dead. After that night at Hogwarts, no one rested, no one slept, especially her. Harry and Ron had dragged her from the burning ruin of the castle, she had not gone lightly. Screaming his name to the high heavens, she struggled against them desperate to see, to know that he was really, truly gone. Ginny was no where to be found, Harry had been beside himself. Only she knew that Ginny had gone, run with Blaise as soon as she got the chance. Not one whisper had been heard about her in months. After they had fled the grounds, they reached Grimmauld Place by first light that morning, where she had broken free and locked herself in her room. She didn't remember any of the next month, only snippets, whispers outside her door,

_"How long can she stay in there?"_

_"What was she thinking?"_

_"Why didn't you tell us!"_

_"What if she knows where Ginny is?!" _

_"No, we didn't. We looked but we couldn't find the bastards body." _That one had given her hope, had almost woken her from her despair, but it was no good. Every time she moved it hurt, every time she opened her eyes it hurt. There was nothing left. It took them a year to convince her it was for the best. They needed her and deep down she needed them. Ron and her married some six months later. The ceremony was quiet, only a few people had attended. She had walked down the aisle, a vision in white, purity, innocence. What a farce. As they said their vows she could feel something gnawing at her, a feeling like someone was watching. The feeling only stronger as they were pronounced man and wife, as they had turned to their friends, thats when she had glimpsed it. It had only been a split second but there it was, a figure, shrouded in darkness. The shock of blond hair had made her stop in her tracks, and then he was gone. She had blinked hard, had it been her imagination, wishing, hoping that he was still out there, watching over her? Or was it reality, had he been there and done nothing to stop it? Neither seemed likely and she had pushed it out of her head, it still hurt to even think his name. Now here she was six months later, married to a man she did not love, still grieving for what she had lost. She looked down at her hand. The wedding ring on her finger glinted in the moonlight streaming through her bedroom window. Ron was snoring as usual. She sighed and turned over, succumbing to the sleep. For in sleep she was at peace, she could cling to the illusion that he had promised her. To sleep, perchance to dream. But this one was different.

**The world around her was burning, fire was licking everything. The smoke stung her eyes making her weep, she couldn't see anything but she ran. Blindly groping for anything familiar. She pushed open a door, fresh air rushed into her lungs and the smoke cleared. She was outside. The ground was strewn with the dead. Blood flowed. Looking wildly around, there was no-one. Entirely alone she fell to her knees, to wracked with grief to hold herself up. She couldn't breathe, couldn't think. Alone she waited, waited for nothing. There was nothing left for her. He had promised that he would watch her, wait for her but she could no longer feel him. Over and over she saw it, the moment before it happened. Draco, it hurt to even think his name. A gaping hole tore in her chest, where her heart once beat. A hand laid on her shoulder,**

**"Come with me." Blaise, next to her. Then Harry and Ron stood in front of her, Blaise had disappeared, Harry hugged her,**

**"Its okay, he can't hurt you now. He's gone and you can get on with your life." Ron kissed her,**

**"Marry me?" The scene shifted again, and she was standing by a gravestone, flowers and candles littered the ground,**

**Draco Lucius Malfoy.**

**Died, 21st December, 2006**

**She collapsed to the ground, grasping at the grass surrounding his grave site. Utter despair engulfed her, and she felt the world slipping away. Out the corner of her eye she saw a movement, white blond hair in the distance. The smoke had cleared and she was in a church, standing in front of the altar, her 'friends' smiling happily at her.**

**"NO!! Take me back! PLEASE!" She shouted. She looked around frantically, a shock of blonde hair caught her eye, he smirked and raised an eyebrow,**

**"Are you really ready?"**

Her eyes snapped open. He had been there, she was sure of it.

_fin._

_Okay...so this is a re-write of the epilogue. The last one left a few questions unanswered and a few of you have asked me 'What happened!!!' So here it is, I hope it makes more sense! If not, just ask me. But I'll tell you now..I'll probs just say 'Wait for the sequel' where trust me your queries will be answered! And for all of those wondering whether Draco's really dead? Well...read between the lines and decide for yourselves ;-) xxxxxx_


	28. Sneaky Look at sequel!

_SNEAK PEEK! Hey everyone, here's a little preview of the sequel to Stylistic Harmony. I would be really grateful if you would let me know what you think. AND also whether anyone has any suggestions for a good title? I'm all out of inspiration for that one! lol! much love sarah x_

The war had raged for years now, she had lost count of how long it had been. Time was obsolete to her, everyday was a struggle to keep going. Neither side had advanced, neither had the upper hand. It was an endless string of fruitless battles, where the casualties mounted every time. The dead were never forgotten, but in a way never remembered. They became just another expendable asset. There wasn't time to mourn. There was to much to do, Harry and Ron still had not found the final Horcrux, that one final piece of Voldemort's soul. Harry had become a hero, as has been predicted, but as a man, he had hardened, the loss of Ginny to the enemy had destroyed him and he had built an icy wall around himself that no-one could penetrate. He had sworn vengeance on the one that had stolen her from him, Blaise Zabini, but he had disappeared, for going on two years now. Rumour had it that he had seconded himself and Ginny to the mountains in Italy, his homeland, but searches had been conducted and nothing was found. Hermione hadn't heard from him since that night at Hogwarts. Just another person who had abandoned her. She was surprised herself that she was still standing, but her strength had won out, her will to live. Not that you could call her life living. Everyday she locked herself away with her books, researching, scouring every inch of what seemed like every book ever written to find that last clue, the one that would lead them to the Horcrux and the conclusion of this bloody war. Not even Ron, her husband, could get through to her, not that she thought of him that way at all. A marriage of convenience. After that night at Hogwarts Harry had given her a choice, stay and be loyal, marry Ron, pop out a couple of mini wizards and live her life with them, or leave and get an Avada Kedevra in the back. She chose the former, though the mini wizards were not going to happen. She couldn't stand having Ron touch her, every thing about him made her sick to the stomach. She was trapped by a loveless marriage, with no where else to go. Draco was dead, she had nothing.

"RED!" He yelled up the stairs,

"WHAT?!" Came the reply, he huffed,

"CHRIST WOMAN, COME THE FUCK ON! WE'RE GOING TO LATE!" Blaise Zabini, six years out of school, as handsome as ever, stood in the hall of a vast mansion home, waiting for his wife to finish doing her hair or whatever the fuck it was she was doing. He drew out a cigarette from his pocket and bought it to his lips, flaring it up immediately with a flick of his finger. He dragged the smoke into his lungs, hoping to ease the stress of the fact that the Dark Lord was going to have his balls if they didn't get going sooner or later. After all it was them that had requested the meeting, and to keep him waiting, well, was the ultimate insult. A movement at the top of the stairs drew his gaze, and there she was, his beautiful wife. Formerly the daughter of a blood traitor, the girlfriend of a hero, now was the wife of one of the most wanted men in the country, the Dark Lord's right hand man, or one of them anyway. No matter how annoyed he was at her, he couldn't hurry her along now, the sight of her still made his breath hitch in his throat. She descended the grand staircase and sauntered into his waiting arms, where he bent his head and too her lips in a searing kiss. The length of time she had been with him did nothing to diminish the fact that he could still kindle the fire that raged within her, he was her everything and she would not for one second think of having it any other way. He drew back and whispered huskily,

"As much as I'd like to ravish you right here my darling, we have to go. Mustn't keep the Dark Lord waiting, oh no." She tilted her head back towards the staircase,

"He not coming then?" Blaise shook his head, and said nothing more. Their host wasn't exactly a hot topic of conversation, Blaise didn't like to talk about him or talk to him even. Any conversation that was had usually ended in a slanging match and he really didn't have the energy for that this morning. He held out his arm for Ginny, who took it willingly and they both apparated out to meet their Lord. Landing with practiced elegance in the courtyard of the centuries old castle that was their new Headquarters, the Riddle house had been destroyed in a battle past. The castle was magnificent, situated in some ancient place in the heart of the Romanian countryside, it was the relic of a time past, the home of some centuries old warlord. Now it was seeing another battle, one of greater magnitude, of more import. Blaise looked around him, scurrying towards them was Wormtail, still alive, unfortunately, but still as pathetic as ever. He bowed low, his nose almost banging the floor, then straightened, not meeting Blaise's gaze though, the rat was too afraid of him to have the audacity,

"Mister Zabini, Madame, welcome back. The Dark Lord is awaiting you in the West library." The only drawback to the castle was that it was like a fucking maze, it was West this and East that, the North bloody tower. He needed a fucking map every time he came here. They walked in the vague right direction, before Wormtail piped up again, "He was expecting three of you." Blaise grimaced, and said,

"Yeah well, he's just going to have to deal with two of us." Wormtail said nothing more, from what he knew of Zabini's host, was that the man did things on his terms or not at all, summoning him wasn't worth shit anymore. Thankfully the rat led them to the correct door, knocking three times before leaving them, and scuttling off into the darkness. The door creaked open and Blaise and Ginny stepped through it into the vast library. The Dark Lord emerged from the shadows, looking less human then ever, the years of constant battles had worn him and his remaining humanity was dwindling by the day. However, he still held a commanding presence. Blaise inclined his head in a sort of bow, and Ginny bent her leg and curtseyed gracefully. Voldemort's features cracked an admiring smile,

"My dear Ginny, how beautiful you look, and Blaise, it has been too long, you look well," He looked past them, as if expecting someone else to appear, then when they didn't, he frowned, "I take it you are here without..."

"He didn't feel it necessary for him to accompany us," Blaise cut him off before he could finish, risky, but he couldn't give a fuck about being rude. Voldemort, however seemed unfazed by the interruption,

"Ah well, I hear you have some news for me?" He gestured for them to take a seat on the sofa, before seating himself on the armchair by the flickering firelight, Blaise lent forward and said,

"We have a lead. But its tricky, it'll take us back to London. With the Ministry rebuilt, it'll be harder for us to slip by unnoticed. I wasn't sure whether you would want us to proceed, considering the risks, and..." he trailed off, Ginny took his hand, then spoke herself,

"What he means is, our illustrious host has voiced certain concerns about the validity of the information, and he's not sure whether its worth it." Apparently that was the wrong thing to say, for the Dark Lord rose and drew himself to his full height,

"I am tiring of his insubordination! It has gone on long enough! I tolerated it for this long because of the importance that he has to my cause, but no more! You can tell him that if he is not standing in front of me first thing tomorrow morning I will have his head. Do I make myself clear?!" Blaise and Ginny nodded, Voldemort sat again, his demeanor shifting faster then lightning,

"Good, now, my dear friends, you shall go to London. Stay undercover, unseen. Carry out my orders, and take back what is mine. Keep it safe, and bring it to me." He stood up again, then left them sitting there. Blaise stood up and paced,

"Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck." His mind was on two things, how the fuck they were going to steal something from right under Potter's nose and what the fuck was going to happen when they got home and told him what Voldemort had ordered. Ginny apparently had the same thing in mind, for she said,

"He is not going to like this." Blaise looked at her and smiled darkly, taking her hand they apparated out to face a dragons wrath.


End file.
